Sam Curtis made his St Johnstone debut yesterday in a hard-fought 1-0 Scottish Cup fourth-round victory over Motherwell.
The 19-year-old defender, who previously played for St. Patrick's Athletic in the League of Ireland, joined the Saints on loan from Sheffield United until the end of the season last Friday.
It is the second loan spell of the season for Curtis, who earlier in the campaign made 19 appearances for Peterborough United.
Curtis signed a contract with Sheffield United last January, running until 2027, and will now ply his trade in Scotland for a short stint.
The Ireland U21 defender expressed his enthusiasm, saying, “I’m delighted to be here, and I’m so excited to get to work. After speaking with the manager, seeing the great stadium, and meeting the lads, I’m just excited to get out there on the pitch now.
Ireland’s Sam Curtis has gone on loan to St. Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership until the end of the season from Sheffield United
All the best Sam, should get plenty of minutes up there
🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪 pic.twitter.com/Q9MR16zuMw
— IrishPropaganda🇮🇪⚽️ (@IrishPropaganda) January 17, 2025
“It’s an exciting challenge for me and the team. We want to get ourselves back into a good position in the league, and I’m hoping to come in and play a big part in that," he said
Moving to Scotland can be daunting for a young player, but Saints boss Simo Valakari helped put the Ireland player at ease. Curtis is now focused on utilising the advice he received while staying true to himself.
“The manager made me feel very comfortable,” Curtis continued. “He has told me to come in and just be myself. I’ll do what I do—that’s why I’m at the club. I have to adapt to the team, but I won’t change as a person.”
