Callum Booth is pleased to be "settled" at St Johnstone after a "stressful" time at financially stricken Bury.
Following an insolvency event last year, Bury were deducted 12 points and eventually expelled from the English Football League.
Left-back Booth had agreed to join the club from Dundee United but the move was never finalised as a transfer embargo on Bury was not lifted.
"It wasn't the best summer," said the 28-year-old.
"I had left Dundee United and signed down there in the summer, stupidly. The first day I went into the training ground there was about 15 different trialists in and only maybe four or five boys that had signed.
"I knew that they were in a little bit of trouble but they'd just been promoted to League One so I thought things were going in the right direction. People were advising that everything was okay.
"We were playing Blackburn in a friendly and I signed that morning and I think it was the next day another statement came out basically saying they're in real turmoil. And that's when I thought, 'oh no, what have I done'?"
After training on his own Booth joined Saints as a free agent in September and then extended his contract until the end of the season.
"I didn't receive nothing, nothing at all," added Booth. "I was down there five, six weeks in total but I didn't get a penny.
"It's just one of those things, it's in the past now. It was a sore point at the time. I've found myself here and enjoying it here so long may that continue.
"I've got a mortgage, I've got a wee boy. It makes you realise how lucky you are to be a professional footballer and have that little bit of security with a club that's well run."