Bain keen to repay Hartley’s faith

BAIN ADMITTED he was delighted to sign a contract extension at Dens, and in some ways his decision is pay-back to Hartley for the faith he has shown in him.

When Bain was released by Aberdeen, Hartley made him his first signing as Alloa boss and then brought him to Dundee last summer, and he hasn’t looked back since.

Hesaid: “The manager’s put a lot of faith in me since the first day I met him. And for him to bring me here and for me to do well and repay him with good performances, it feels good.

“So when I get an opportunity to sign an extension at a club like Dundee, it’s not something I’m going to turn down.

“I’m over the moon. I’m re a l ly looking forward to committing another year to the club.

“I think the club’s ambition was also a big part in me signing my extension.

“I had another two years on my deal anyway and I’m happy at Dundee.”

He continued: “When I signed for the managerr at Alloa he always said aim as high as you want.

“And if you put the work in, along with good performances, who knows where you could be?

“He’s said the exact same to me here at Dundee.”

Bain’s outstanding performances for the Dark Blues recently have put him on the radar of other clubs, with Celtic believed to be tracking the player.

However, the keeper insists he doesn’t allow himself to be distracted by speculation.

He added: “Yeah, you hear about it (Celtic link).

“I want to say it’s flattering, but you don’t really know if it’s true or not.

“I’m just happy that I’m playing well and people are taking notice.

“To be honest, I don’t really think about it that much.

“Like I say, playing here every week and doing well I’m just delighted with how my season has been and how my future looks.”

Dundee will be without the injured Gary Irvine, Gary Harkins and Luka Tankulic while James McPake is a major doubt with a knee problem.

CONSIDERING ALL three Dundee derbies have been won by United this season by an aggregate score of 11-3, Dark Blues keeper Scott Bain could be forgiven for being apprehensive ahead of what will be his first experience of the fixture at Dens tonight, writes Neil Robertson.

However, the 23-yearold, who put pen to paper on a contract extension on Monday that will keep him at the club until 2018, insists he simply cannot wait for kick-off.

And a packed Dens will ensure it is hugely different to his last derby experience when he was a player with Alloa against Stirling in 2013.

He said: “I’m looking forward to the derby massively.

“The first game back in September I was on the bench and then I was in the stand for the other two.

“Those games are in the past, though. The boys are more than confident for the game on Wednesday and are raring to go.

“For me, it’s my first derby so I don’t know if we are approaching this one better than the ones before, so you would need to ask the boys that.

“I’m really excited to be playing in it and feel the atmosphere.

“At the end of the day, you just want to get the three points.”

He added: “I don’t think you can call Alloa and Stirling a derby. There were only about 1,000 people there! But I know this game is going to be a big one in my career and I can’t wait.”

Scott Bain.