Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Hartley ‘got in McPake’s head’ after Dee move
JA M ES McPa ke says mov ing to Du ndee saved his career after a continuing back problem and a relegation saw him leave Hibs back in 2014.
Now Dark Blues manager, McPake joined the club almost six years ago along with Kevin Thomson and Scott Bain as then-boss Paul Hartley geared his side up for the Premiership following promotion.
At the time, though, he was struggling with his fitness having not played first-team football since October 2013 and was even advised by his dad to give up the game for his family.
However, James credits Hartley and fitness coach Tam Ritchie for reigniting his love of the game at Dens Park.
Speaking to former Dundee team-mate Simon Ferry’s Open Goal podcast, he said: “My father had told me to stop for my family but I wanted to get it right and that pre-season (at Dundee) with wee Tam helped me.
“I remember it getting better and better and thinking ‘I feel good here’. My back wasn’t bad and I played in all the pre-season games apart from Sheffield United because of the bus journey.
“Paul Hartley was great with me and I think he pushed me as well. He got in my head that I had to keep training and I hadn’t had that. Mentally it helped me getting through.
“His training was good and a lot of that came from Gordon (Strachan at Celtic). I got fit and I remember a training game in Hungary when wee Wighty (Craig Wighton) tried to run me and I could keep up with him – the year before I wouldn’t have been able to do that.
“It wasn’t to prove anybody wrong at Hibs. I had been stupid at times, playing when I wasn’t fit which was daft.
“At Dundee I was fit and I kind of proved to my dad I had a couple of seasons in me.”
It wasn’t all plain sailing, however, and he revealed the unconventional medical he had to endure before signing for Hartley and the Dark Blues.
“I had the weirdest medical I’ve ever had at Dundee. I got the phone call, went up and Paul said we’re going to do a bit of running