Why St Johnstone skipper Jason Holt is one of the best captains Simo Valakari has known

Jason Holt is one of the best captains St Johnstone boss, Simo Valakari, has known. And the veteran midfielder has been handed the armband for the Perth club’s return to the Premiership. Holt led by example as Saints secured the Championship title by 11 points. Valakari admitted that this time last year his mind wasn’t made up about the McDiarmid Park captaincy. But it’s clear as day to him who should get the job ahead of the 2026/27 campaign. “Through pre-season and the League Cup last season I changed captains,” said the head coach. “But nobody will take the captaincy off Jason Holt. “He’s one of the best I’ve had in my coaching career. “Holty will be our captain for the season. “Everything that happened last year tells you how good a leader he was for us. “Results, culture, identity, way of playing – everything. “Nobody can do that alone and he needed the other boys in the locker room, but he played such a big role in helping us lead the league from the first day to the last. “The responsibility was big because I use my captains off the pitch.” Leading by example The personality of a good captain can be different from person to person and club to club. But Valakari revealed there’s one non-negotiable as far as he’s concerned. “Jason understands that the best way to lead is to take care of your own performances,” he explained. “He really did that. “He has been at the top again in our training drills this pre-season. “I’m very pleased that the captaincy is one less thing for me to think about this season.”