Danny Schmidt enjoyed a memorable afternoon at Rugby Park in our last away game against Kilmarnock, scoring his first goal for St Johnstone in a 1-1 draw.
The German forward was also making his first start in a Saints shirt, marking the occasion with a composed headed finish to open his account for the club. Having arrived as a free agent after leaving Fortuna Düsseldorf in the summer, the 23-year-old has been settling into life in Scotland and will be hoping there is plenty more to come.
We caught up with Danny to discuss his first goal, adapting to Scottish football, life in Perth and his ambitions for the season ahead.
Tell us a bit about your career so far?
“I started out at my local team SV Neuhof when I was five before I was then scouted by Mainz. I was there for ten years and gradually worked my way up through the age groups.
“I then moved to Dusseldorf and during my time there I spent time on loan at Essen. I have learnt a lot from all my experiences in football and that has helped to get me where I am today at St Johnstone.
“I have always been a forward thinking player. Either a striker or an attacking-minded midfielder.
“I feel settled here in Scotland now and I am enjoying the different challenges of Scottish football.
“It is my first time out of Germany, but that is a good thing for me. It is a new experience, a new culture and a new lifestyle.”
What have you enjoyed the most about Scotland so far?
“I would say the nature. It is beautiful and quite similar to Germany really.
“It is really calm here. You have nice cities too. Perth itself but also Glasgow and Edinburgh are nearby.
“It is a good mix of everything. The people here too are really nice and helpful.
“It is a bit different to what I am used to because I have come from Dusseldorf, which is one of the biggest cities in Germany.
“It is different for me. I have been recognised a few times and I like that.
“I can focus well and it is a good place to make the next move in my career.”
Your family have also moved across to Perth. How nice is it to have them here with you?
“My wife and I just recently had our first child so it is lovely to have the full family here in Perth.
“It will take them a little more time to settle into life here but I am sure that will come with time.
“They love it here and we always go and explore together. It is a nice way of seeing new places.”
How nice was it to get your first goal?
“I am here to score goals and I am here to help the team. I know my qualities and it was nice to score my first goal.
“I hope now that more goals will come. It was an important first one especially since we had ten men for the majority of the game.
“It was a tough game but we earned a point in the end. It was really impressive to see the whole team performance. I have never seen anything like it before.”
