‘Losing Kane we’ll make it

PAUL Hartley reckons Dundee can make the sale of Kane Hemmings work for them.

However, he accepts the striker’s goals will prove tough to replace.

Paul and managing director John Nelms have both confirmed a clause existed in Hemmings’ Dens Park deal.

Without it, they say, the Englishman would not have travelled back north of the border to sign.

The duo did stop short of confirming the fee but it is understood to be dead on the £250,000 reported in the Tele back in April.

Numbers on the balance sheets can’t win games, though.

And Paul knows i n one of the toughest weeks of his managerial career to date he faces an uphill task to find a replacement striker who can equal Hemmings’ remarkable tally of 25 goals last season.

“Hopefully, Kane leaving is a deal that can work for all of us,” said Paul.

“I know the financial constraints of the football club. We have lost one of our best players but that’s life.

“I was never sure how Kane was going to do to be honest, in the first place. We hoped he would score goals but it wasn’t guaranteed.

“We brought Kane up last year and he cost us nothing, then we have sold him. I didn’t want to.

“He had a strong desire to play back down the road.

“I tried to speak to him but he’d already made his mind up. It was too good a deal for him.

“I’ve got to find someone who can score us 20 goals a season now.”

The harsh reality of Scottish football is that every club is a “selling club”, no matter how much they want not to be labelled that, according to Paul.

“The harsh reality of Scottish football is that the top teams all sell their best players,” he said.

“There’s not a l ot we can do sometimes. I didn’t want Kane to go but that the harsh reality sometimes.

“It’s frustrating because you want the best players at your club.

“I look at it from the other side as well. If no one was looking at your players you wouldn’t be doing much right.

“If you are successful other teams want to take your players.”

Like any manager Paul is hurt when one of his best players leaves.

And he hopes he won’t be saying goodbye to Greg Stewart anytime soon.

Dundee manager Paul Hartley hope something good will come out of the departure of Kane Hemmings. Kane Hemmings and Paul Hartley celebrate a Dens Park victory last season —