The forward made his inaugural appearance in a recent 4-0 loss to Stephen Robinson’s team. DJ Jaiyesimi’s initial match for St Johnstone coincided with Steven MacLean’s final game.
Reflecting on the 4-0 defeat to St Mirren in late October, no one associated with the Perth side recalls that event with any positive sentiments. However, the forward, on loan from Charlton Athletic, is optimistic that the Saints’ lineup facing the Buddies at McDiarmid Park on Wednesday night will be markedly different.
Jaiyesimi expressed confidence, stating, “The St Mirren game a few weeks back was a bad one for us, but we’re playing better now and have more confidence going into it. We feel we’re a different team now compared to then. You’ve seen that from the performances we’re putting in. The way we’re playing is going to pay off, and hopefully, that will be on Wednesday.”
Playing as the lone striker due to injuries and benching of other players, Jaiyesimi delivered an encouraging performance with notable link-up play. He also scored the goal that put Saints 1-0 up at halftime against Celtic on Sunday.
Jaiyesimi commented on his role, saying, “I have played as a striker before. I’ve been in loads of positions over my career, and up front is one of them. I think I’m most effective as a 10, just behind a striker. But I am confident about playing anywhere really. If the gaffer asks me to play up there, I’m happy to do it, and it’s obviously nice to get off the mark with a goal.”
"A HORRIBLE GOAL FOR CELTIC TO CONCEDE!" 😬
Jaiyesimi gives St Johnstone the lead! 🔵 pic.twitter.com/UybQhN3dHk
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) December 3, 2023
The forward expressed confidence and a desire for a consistent run of games, saying, “It gives me confidence. Scoring against a team with top players like Celtic can only be a good thing. It has been stop-start since I came here, but hopefully, I can get a run of games now. The more games I play, the more I will get into the flow of things.”
Despite back-to-back narrow losses to the first and third teams in the Premiership, Jaiyesimi sees positives and looks ahead to upcoming matches against fourth-placed St Mirren and eighth-placed Motherwell. He emphasized the team’s improvement on the pitch and the need to compete effectively in the upcoming matches.