Thank you, Kano

We can confirm that striker Chris Kane will depart the club when his current contract expires.

Chris came through the ranks of our youth academy and, after breaking into the first team, continued to catch the eye with his hard-working nature, determined attitude and prowess in front of goal.

He famously netted his first senior goal for the club in the final game of the 2014/15 season, latching onto a James McFadden pass seconds after coming on and finishing low into the corner to defeat Aberdeen 1-0 at Pittodrie.

It was a finish – still fondly remembered – that secured fourth place in the Scottish Premiership and subsequently resulted in more European football.

Loan spells at Dumbarton and Queen of the South aided his development through the years and, in more recent times, Chris was a stalwart of our cup double-winning campaign in 2021.

He netted in the quarter-final of the Scottish Cup against Rangers at Ibrox (although Zander Clark may say different) and slotted in the opener of the semi-final against St Mirren at Hampden. Of course, we would win the final having already secured the League Cup.  

Later that summer and on the European stage, Chris etched himself further into the history books by playing a memorable role against Turkish giants Galatasaray. He won the penalty which led to a 1-1 draw in Istanbul before also scoring in the home leg at McDiarmid Park.

We would drop into the Europa Conference League but Chris kept up his scoring form by netting the opener on the road against Austrian outfit LASK.

Injury frustrations hampered him from initially building on that special season and, after working his way back to fitness, Chris was then sent on loan to Championship side Dunfermline.

He made 245 appearances for us and scored 37 goals along the way.

Saints CEO Stan Harris said: “I’ve known Chris for a very long time and his contribution to the club will never be forgotten.

“From his days in the youth academy to playing such a big part in our cup double-winning season in 2021, he has always worked with complete professionalism on and off the pitch.

“It is important that the club places on record its thanks to Chris and we wish him all the very best for his next steps in football.”

Chris was kind enough to sit down with us to reflect back on his time with the club. The full interview will be available on our Facebook page and Saints TV (free-to-view) upon creating an account.

We will provide a full squad update in due course.