New St Johnstone signing is the real McKoy

Aug 22 2008 by Gordon Bannerman, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

THE name and spelling might be unfamiliar but St Johnstone’s latest recruit is eager to show Perth fans he’s the real thing.

Nick McKoy has grabbed a lifeline thrown his way by Perth manager Derek McInnes.

The 21-year-old Londoner, a six-foot-plus midfielder, yesterday signed an initial contract through to the end of the year.

Like former Chelsea midfielder Jody Morris before him, the ex-Wimbledon and Cardiff City player has headed north after being injured while searching for a new club.

McInnes said: “We had a close look at Nick last season and he was with us in Birmingham for pre-season. I was always conscious of the need for a physical presence in the middle of the park in this division.

“I wasn’t in a position to offer Nick something before, but the chairman and the board have been very supportive.

“Nick is young and a bit raw, but we have seen enough to believe there are attributes we can work on.

“He is a big, powerful player but he isn’t just a ball winner.

“I spoke to people I know at Cardiff and Jody knew Nick from time together down south. I also played alongside him in a reserve game last season.

“Nick played in a game against Ayr on Monday and goes into the squad for Firhill.

“He’s desperate for the opportunity to get his career back on track. It’s a short-term deal initially and he has a great chance to prove himself.”

McKoy mapped out the background to his move north, saying: “Tony Docherty was in touch with Willo Flood at Dundee United. I was at Cardiff with him. I suppose you could say Willo was a go-between because he put us in touch.

“I started off at Wimbledon when I was 13 and spent six years there before moving on to Cardiff City in the Championship.

“I was there for a year, but I’ve been without a club after picking up an injury while I was on trial last year.

“It has been a tough time and hard to deal with, especially after being at one club for so long.

“After being released by Cardiff, I was at MK Dons on trial and then 45 minutes into my first training session with Dagenham and Redbridge I broke my foot. It was a disaster because I was out of contract and had to wait for treatment on the NHS.

“I was out for three months. It couldn’t have come at a worse time.

“After having the operation and recovering I had to get myself fit.

“All I want to do now is play football and make up for lost time.

“Hopefully this move will help myself and help push the club forward and onto better things. If the manager needs me I’m ready to start as soon as possible.

“A few of the guys I grew up with have done very well, especially Nigel Reo-Coker who’s now at Aston Villa. He was the youth team captain. Others I came through the ranks with are at QPR and Watford.

“I haven’t had my troubles to seek but I have dealt with them.

“I’ve had a rough time of it but hopefully things will change for me in Scotland.

“I didn’t know an awful lot about St Johnstone or Scottish football, apart from Rangers, Celtic and other Premier teams.

“But I’m looking forward to playing here. I want to play at the top level and I’m only 21 so I have time on my side.

“It wasn’t the reason I came here but I know Jody Morris because we were both on trial at MK Dons. He was also coming back after injury. We also went to Yeovil together. Now I’ve followed him here!

“Everyone knows what a great player Jody is. He played in the Premiership for Chelsea and it didn’t surprise me he did so well here last season. He gets a reaction from players around him and has a real impact.”