The big cup final was approaching and Liam Gordon was pulled to the side.
“We’ll be playing you at centre-half today” was the instruction from the management team as local youths St Johns under-15s limbered up for a shot at glory against Tulloch Thistle at Simpson Park.
A puzzled and disgruntled look appeared on the face of a teenager who was more accustomed to striding forward from the centre of the park, certainly since making the move to 11-a-side football. Gordon was not best pleased.
“He was signed as a midfielder,” recalls John Kaylor, one of Gordon’s former coaches at St Johns.
“But our centre-half was suspended for that cup final and Liam was the tallest so we decided to put him in there.
“He was not happy. Not happy at all. He must have spoken to his dad because he came up to us before kick-off and said: ‘Look, Liam isn’t happy. He can’t play centre-half.’ I just had to say that we had no choice.”
Fast forward to the end of the game and St Johns were celebrating a penalty shoot-out victory and Gordon was earning plaudits for his dominant performance in the heart of the defence - a position that would soon become his permanent home.
“As it happened, we won the cup, Liam was superb and was signed by Dundee not long after,” John continued.
“When we put him at centre-half, that was it. He never looked back. I like to think putting him in the defence helped him along the way.”
Gerry Scott was also a coach at St Johns and had tried to get Gordon to Saints as a young kid before he ended up joining Dundee.
“He was the typical teenager and was a little moody at times - especially when we asked him to play centre-half,” Gerry laughed.
“But he was really good for us and I’d actually phoned Saints to come down to a game and have a look at him. I was pretty confident they would like what they saw but an hour before kick-off Liam called off.
“So he didn’t get seen that night and then ended up signing for Dundee. He could have been at St Johnstone when he was about 14 or 15.”
Gerry then joked: “You’ll need to ask Liam but I’m sure when he had his trial with Dundee he had his Saints top on underneath!
“We only ever recommended a couple players to Saints. Liam was one of them and Dayle Robertson the other.”
It was not long before the Perth High student was on the move from Dundee to Raith Rovers, whose first-team manager at the time was John McGlynn. When McGlynn departed for Hearts, Gordon went with him.
The defensive traits picked up playing with St Johns down the North Inch were serving Gordon well and, in 2015, the moment he had always dreamt of became reality. He had signed for St Johnstone - the team he supported as a boy.
And a true fan at that. Up to Inverness on supporters’ buses on cold, wintry afternoons and spotted at the East Stand scoreboard end on a regular basis.
Having spent time on loan at Elgin City, Gordon made his first-team debut under Tommy Wright against Hearts in a 2-2 thriller at Tynecastle on the final day of season 2015/16. After the game he noted it was “different class playing for the team you have supported all your life.”
Another loan spell would follow, this time at Peterhead, before slowly but surely he started to appear more consistently in Saints’ starting line-up. Now a mainstay in the team, what he achieved earlier this year will never be forgotten.
This was the local lad with the wildest of dreams that came true in winning both the League and Scottish Cup in the same season. The city of Perth toasted the tastiest of doubles.
Another dream came true this week when Gordon was named captain of St Johnstone FC. He was honoured and privileged.
“I’m very proud of Liam and I think it’s just fantastic,” added John, a massive Saints fan himself.
“He is a Saints man as well. I remember him coming to the football on the supporters’ bus. He has always been a Saints fan and there is no denying that.
“Playing for your home team is what you dream of as a kid. Liam, Stevie May, David Wotherspoon - it’s just terrific. It’s special. All of the players will look up to Liam and will know what it means.
“When we won the cup we got a Facetime from him. He always has time to stop and speak. Always. I see him up at the park before matches sometimes and he is always over asking how I am doing.”
That was a message reiterated by Gerry, who continued: “I messaged Liam after both cup finals and he took the time to get back to me.
“He would have been inundated with messages but he got back to say thanks for everything myself and John did. He is still very respectful and it is almost like you are still his football manager when he speaks to you.
“It’s still surreal to see him playing now and it was really nice to see him being named captain the other day.”
While John and Gerry aren’t taking any real credit for Gordon’s rise to defensive stardom, they will always have that St Johns cup final to fondly look back on with a smile.
Gerry concluded: “He deserves this success. It’s a fantastic story.”
