Procedure under way to appoint new head of recruitment at Dens

DUNDEE are in the market for a head of recruitment as changes continue apace.

Tele Sport revealed last month that technical director Gordon Strachan would be taking a more active role in first-team matters.

That work has already begun with the club taking the next step in appointing a manager this week in the shape of Gary Bowyer.

Next on the agenda is to appoint a head of recruitment to head up the scouting and future transfer plans.

Strachan will oversee that but managing director John Nelms says the final say on ins and outs will be Bowyer’s.

“We are bringing in a head of recruitment,” Nelms said, as Bowyer was unveiled at Dens Park.

“We wanted to have the manager in place but Gordon has been speaking to people about recruitment and we will have that.”

In terms of Strachan’s role going forward, Nelms explained: “Gordon’s title doesn’t change but he is taking on a more hands-on approach.

“We have modified our structure. They are not massive changes but small changes over how we recruit and things of that nature.

“Gary will work under Gordon going forward as technical director. Gordon has a good way about him and obviously vast experience.

“We are putting in a system where if Gary wants a right-back, we have four or five right-back options who fit the criteria and they choose from there.

“The manager has the final say but we are here to help him.

“Everybody will have a good look at this person to make sure they fit the attributes to be a Dundee Football Club player.”

Nelms confirmed there will be the opportunity for Bowyer to strengthen the squad this summer.

Asked about transfers this summer, Nelms replied: “Gary will have as much leeway as I have given any manager.

“We try to be successful in any way we can but we do it within reason.

“I think we have always supported our manager as best we can.

“Gary and Billy know our team well but they need to get in and start working with them, then we start making decisions on personnel going forward.”

Nelms also explained there would be a shift in focus from the club as they target a specific profile of player.

And that will be shaped by the club’s experiences last season as the Dark Blues go in search of a team identity.

“We learn from all of our mistakes. We have made mistakes,” admitted Nelms.

“Even the most successful groups make mistakes. We learned quite a bit from last season. We just didn’t get it right.

“At times you thought ‘here we go, we’ll kick on from here’ but then the next game we fall flat on our face. There are reasons for that and we are fixing those reasons.

“One of the big things is we need to have an identity as a football club on the park. That’s something we failed to do last year.

“We are working on those issues.

“To achieve that identity, you need to have a base level of attributes that every player has. They have to be hungry, brave and want to go the extra mile.”

Gordon Strachan is now more hands-on at Dens.