Derek Riordan is in ‘last-chance saloon’, says St Johnstone chairman Steve Brown

STEVE Brown, the St Johnstone chairman, has warned Derek Riordan, who signed a short-term deal with the club on Friday, that he is “in the last-chance saloon”, writes Paul Forsyth.

He says that the former Hibs and Celtic striker, who has been without a club since an ill-fated spell in China, must prove himself, on and off the pitch, between now and the end of the season.

Brown admits that, when Steve Lomas, the club’s manager, suggested to him that they sign Riordan, his immediate concern was not with the player’s ability, but with his reputation for attracting the wrong headlines.

“The first thing I said was that he has been trouble at different clubs,” says Brown. “Unfortunately, Derek’s got that reputation. I think all supporters would say the same thing. That’s the tag you get. Most people in football, even outwith football, know that Derek has not exactly got the best history of behaving himself, certainly off the park.

“With most players you talk first about their ability, but the first thing I flagged up was that this was a community club, a family club. It’s something that we are very, very protective of. We have had bad apples over the years, but to be fair the guys Derek McInnes [the previous manager] brought in were all decent individuals. And the guys Steve has brought in have been decent. They judge the guy in training, and what he’s doing outwith training. It’s the last-chance saloon probably for Derek.”