Nemsadze was ‘frighteningly good’ – Mackay

TESTING yourself against “f r ig hte n i ng ly good” Georgi Nemsadze and World Cup star Claudio Caniggia as a rookie in training was an amazing way to start any football career.

Now first-team coach at Dundee, Dave Mackay did just that as he made his first steps as a senior pro at Dens Park during the rollercoaster Bonetti era.

Italian brothers Ivano and Dario Bonetti were appointed as the new Dark Blues management team 20 years ago this week, heralding the arrival of a number of top stars.

Mackay, meanwhile, was a fresh-faced 19-year-old looking for a route into first-team football and had spent time on loan at Brechin and Arbroath.

But in late September 2001, Mackay was recalled from Gayfield.

He said: “My debut was at Kilmarnock, coming on as a sub for injured Alessandro Romano.

“I was surprised to get on, to be honest, I had only came back from loan at Arbroath that week.

“I knew I was in the squad but there was going to be one left out and I thought it would be me. But then five, six minutes in and I’m on. I don’t remember Ivano saying anything before the game but he did afterwards – I think he was surprised at how well I did!

“He got all the players to give me a round of applause after the game.

“It was embarrassing – I don’t know if it was just because he was surprised or if everyone got that after their debut. Maybe he was just in a good mood because we had won.”

For anyone associated with Dundee at that point it was an exciting time but, for a youngster like Mackay, it was “incredible” to pit himself against such top-class players, even if it was difficult to see some of the local players get pushed out.

“As a young boy I was happy being around the first team but we had seen a lot of the older pros get cast aside and forced out the door,” Mackay added.

“That happens in football when managers come in, they bring their own players but, as well as having outstanding players like Caballero or Nemsadze, there