‘Dee-fiance’ a crazy time — McIntosh

“DEE-FIANT” goal hero Leighton McIntosh is swiftly becoming a fans favourite at Arbroath as they aim for a play-off place in League One.

McIntosh, though, says he learned a huge amount from his “whirlwind” start to his career as a 17-year-old local lad parachuted in to help a beleaguered first team at Dens.

Back in 2010-11, with the club plunged into administration and hit with a 25-point deduction while in the First Division, Barry Smith’s Dundee side upset the odds by staying up.

And it was McIntosh himself who grabbed the headlines with his fourth goal in three games sealing a 1-0 victory at Ross County to save the Dark Blues from relegation.

He said: “It was a crazy time. I still get Dundee fans coming up to me and saying they were at the Ross County game and things like that.

“I don’t think I understood the severity of what was going on back then. When you’re young the only thing you care about is trying to get into the first team and getting more goals.

“It was all a whirlwind to be honest. Just getting the chance to play was enough for me let alone managing to score goals and pick up a Young Player of the Month award.

“In that administration season there were a lot of young players called up but I managed to take my chance.

“I was 17 — it feels like a really long time ago now!”

A three-year contract followed in May 2011 but at the end of that, after 37 games and five goals, McIntosh was released by the club.

“I picked up a few bad injuries. A lot of people at Dundee knew I was struggling with a lot of injuries when I was younger.

“I had a chance of a three-year contract to play full-time and develop but the injuries were frustrating.

“I had hip and glute problems and the biggest frustration was it took so long to be properly diagnosed.

“I was back and forth all the time — one day I would be training then I was in agony and then fine again.

“It really hindered my progress when I was young.

“It took nine or 10 months to get