St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright has revealed that striker Steve McLean pestered him for a run ahead of Tuesday night's 3-0 win over Motherwell.
The 31-year old returned to the starting line-up after four months out with a knee injury and made an immediate impact, scoring two first-half goals in the McDiarmid Park victory.
After the match, Wright praised the former Sheffield Wednesday, Cardiff City and Plymouth Argyle man for his performance after admitting to taking a gamble on his fitness.
"He's been badgering me for a few days now to put him back in," said Wright.
"It wasn't a risk medically because his knee's fine, but perhaps a risk because he hasn't played.
"He could have had an U20 game but we didn't want it to be on plastic and most of them are on plastic (surfaces).
"You can see what he brings to us. He's a bubbly lad who gets about the pitch and makes things happen. I think he's a leader on the pitch and I thought it was a risk worth taking. He gave us a bit of a lift and some spark after Saturday.
"They (Motherwell) are one of the best teams in the country and I thought we dominated from start to finish."
The win allowed St Johnstone to remain sixth on the Scottish Premiership table while Motherwell stayed third despite a second straight defeat.
