St Johnstone goalkeeper Craig Hepburn is relishing the possibility of testing himself against Premiership opposition.
The 18-year-old this week joined Lowland League side Cowdenbeath on a season-long loan.
The ‘Blue Brazil’ were given a spot in the Viaplay Cup and were recently drawn in the same group as top-flight club St Mirren, as well as Arbroath, Forfar and Montrose.
Hepburn, who spent the 2022/23 campaign at local East of Scotland League team Luncarty, is looking forward to continuing his rise to the top.
“You need to get used to going to places you don’t know and meeting new people,” Hepburn said of his move to Central Park.
“I had my first training session with Cowdenbeath on Tuesday night and they were brilliant with me.
“I felt I did well at Luncarty and now I’ll get to play at a good level in the Lowland League.
“We also have the Viaplay Cup coming up where we’re playing St Mirren, Arbroath, Forfar and Montrose. That can only be good for my development.”
Hepburn chatted through his recent move with Saints’ new head of goalkeeping Craig Hinchliffe while also discussing what to expect from fellow shot-stopper Ross Sinclair.
“I spoke with Craig Hinchliffe, who has been brilliant with me and the other goalies since he has come in,” explained Hepburn, who has been with the Perth club for many years now. “He said the next step was another loan.
“And I spoke to Ross about Cowdenbeath - and Alex Ferguson too.
“I’d asked Ross a few questions. It is good to know people have been there before and now they are battling for a spot in the first team at Saints.
“Ross came through the academy, has had his loans and every single day his attitude is different level. It is good to see the pathway is there, just like there was for Zander Clark. Hopefully I can follow in their footsteps.”
A former Perth High student, Hepburn headed to Cowdenbeath after a hugely successful spell at Luncarty. He quickly became a favourite among team-mates and supporters.
It proved a key learning experience in how to deal with different situations.
He said: “It was the perfect loan for me as, being young, it gave me the opportunity to play men’s football. It is so much different to what I would get playing at under-18 level.
“The physical side of it was a step above and I wasn’t expecting half the hassle - whether it was elbows or getting kicked.
“You would also get abuse from behind the goal and that was something I had to get used to. It was part of my development.
“I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I first joined. I remember in one of my first games I had a group behind the goal giving me abuse the whole game.
“I didn’t know what to do with myself but, as time went on, I learned how to deal with different scenarios and that was needed.”
Hepburn added: “A few of the boys at Luncarty had gone to the same school as me and knew my family.
“So when I turned up they all welcomed me in really nicely. With it being my first real loan, I had people I was close to and I think that helped me. I was confident going into the games with the team.”
Hepburn, during his time at the Bleachers, helped the Perthshire club earn promotion to the Premier Division, as well as win the Alex Jack Cup.
They also triumphed in the Cup Winners’ Shield which secured a spot in this coming season’s Scottish Cup draw.
Such was his popularity, at the end of season prize night Hepburn’s Luncarty team-mates lifted him onto shoulders and chanted his name on repeat.
“The aim for the team was to get promoted and we were on for the title too,” he recalled.
“We managed to win a cup and also qualified for the Scottish Cup. It was the first ever time I had really achieved something in football.
“It was pretty special when they were chanting my name. I was still watching the video a couple of days after and smiling to myself.
“There was not one bad egg in that changing room. Everyone was so close and you could talk to anyone about anything.”
As Hepburn enters the next chapter of his footballing journey, he will always have the advice of former Saints loan goalkeeper Remi Matthews.
“Remi spoke to me at the end of the season and told me to keep doing what I’m doing and remain level-headed,” Hepburn told the PA.
“I’ve kept in touch with him. He was brilliant for me last season and it has been really nice of him to keep in touch even though he is down at Crystal Palace.”
