Dillo aims to right wrongs of last year

ONE year on and club captain Sean Dillon still struggles to put into words how much Dundee United’s relegation hurt him.

It’s a scar on his Tangerines career that will only heal if he can help the club back to Scottish football’s top tier.

That’s why for the next four days nothing else — including his own future at Tannadice — but helping United in their Premiership Play-Off Final against Hamilton matters.

With his contract expiring in the summer, the two-game tie played at Tannadice tonight and then New Douglas Park on Sunday might just be his last action for the club.

That’s not something he’s prepared to discuss in any detail, simply because his focus is 100% on these massive games.

“It kills me, it still does,” is the best the way the normally-chatty Dubliner can find to sum up what 12 months away from the top flight has been like.

“I’ve had a couple of people say to me I must have enjoyed Friday night when we beat Falkirk in the semifinal but how can I say I enjoyed that?

“It was a brilliant game to play, the scenes were fantastic when we got the winner and afterwards but, from my point of view, it’s still only part of a battle to get us back to where we want to be, where we feel this club should be.

“I’ve had some great times with this club, celebrating semi-final wins, one in a final and things like that.

“So winning last week was more than a relief for me than a celebration. And if we can get up, my feeling will be we’ve righted the wrong from last year and it’s something I’m desperate to help do.

“It’s why I’m not speaking about my future. That’s something that can wait until next week when, hopefully, we are back looking forward to being in the Premiership.”

While he does genuinely believe a club of United’s size and history should be permanent members of the top flight, Dillon also stresses the right to be there has to be earned.

“It’s nice if people say clubs like us should be up there but nobody has a divine right to be in any league.