 In his first game back, on 11 August 2007, he scored a goal in Saints' 2–2 draw with Stirling Albion at McDiarmid Park.Rutkiewicz was made club captain in 2008–09 after the previous captain, Kevin James, suffered injury problems and dropped out of the first team.In March 2009 he received the Scottish First Division Player of the Month Award for a string of solid performances that helped the team maintain their lead at the top of the league table.