Seeing smiles on the faces of supporters at full-time is fuelling Reece McAlear’s desire to continue a strong start to the season.
The midfielder has been a constant in the centre of the park since arriving at McDiarmid Park from Livingston in the summer.
He has certainly played his part in our positive opening to the William Hill Championship campaign but is more focused than ever to keep giving the fans plenty to cheer about.
He said: “I’m loving it at Saints. The fans and the people inside the club are great – and there is a terrific buzz about the place.
“Yes, we have made a good start but there are plenty of games to go. It is a marathon, not a sprint and we need to remain focused.”
Football has always been a key part of Reece’s life and, from the early days of running around the school pitch, he had aspirations of making a career out of it.
Reece explained: “Football was the only thing I ever really did when I was younger. I remember my days at boys’ club football for Moorlands – I scored a few goals back then!
“I used to go down to the school early just to play football in the morning. I then started taking football a bit more serious when I went into secondary school. It was a Performance School so you were training every day with the best players in the area.
“I wasn’t really the best at school, but I would always try and my behaviour was fine. It just wasn’t for me. There was a stat at school where it talked about how few players from a football academy actually go on to make it. I know how lucky I am to be playing professional football.”
He continued: “The main thing is that you enjoy doing this. There is no point in playing if you don’t enjoy it.
“The best part of all this is when you get those three points on a Saturday and then look at the fans with smiles on their faces.
“Then you go home and your family are happy for you. It’s the best feeling ever. My family come to pretty much all of the games. They love it and have been everywhere with me. I wouldn’t be where I am without them.
“It’s another reason why you play – to impress and make your family proud. They would be happy with whatever I was doing in life. But I like to give back to them and hopefully they enjoy the journey as much as I do.”
