Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Gartland has the ‘right standards’
DUNDEE boss Neil McCann has revealed appointing Graham Gartland as his No 2 was no old pals act.
The Scot and the Irishman have known each other since working together at St Johnstone a few years back but Neil has stressed their relationship has always been based on football, not friendship.
“Graham is a great lad but it’s not like we’ve been close friends for years,” said Neil.
“I worked with him at St Johnstone when he was a player and what I saw in him was qualities I believe I had as well, which were a commitment to work, doing the right things, having the right standards.
“I said if I got the job here I wanted Graham to come and work with me.
“So I asked him and he couldn’t wait to come. He’ll have different opinions and, as a centre-back, he’ll see the game differently.
“I love working from a defensive point of view.
“That’s what I had to do in those five games last season — but he’ll see it from a different position.
“He’ll be able to go away and work with the full-backs and centre-backs and I’ll come at it from the different end of the pitch and we’ll zone in on specifics.
“Gartland will also be involved in the youth set-up at Dens, having had experience of that side of a club during his time back home in Ireland.
“He set up the youth academy at Shamrock Rovers.
“There’s knowledge he can use to help Jimmy Boyle with our youths.”