Hartley insists he would have kept Dark Blues in top flight

Sacked Dundee manager Paul Hartley is convinced he would have kept the Dens Park club in the Premiership.

The former Dark Blues boss has issued a statement in the wake of yesterday’s dismissal, speaking of his pride at the club’s achievements in his time in charge.

He insisted he would have turned a free-falling season around but also said he respected the board’s decision to terminate his contract.

He said: “I’m disappointed not to have been given the chance to see out the remainder of the season because I firmly believe we would have retained our SPFL Premiership status.

“I was confident we would have moved up the league table as there are some excellent players in the dressing-room, led by captain Darren O’Dea.

“However, I respect the decision made by the Dundee FC board and would like to wish everyone success in the final five games of the campaign.

“I’m very proud of what I achieved at Dundee since I was appointed manager in February, 2014. We won promotion to the SPFL top flight and we finished in the top six. There is no doubt I’m leaving the club in a far stronger position now from when I first joined.

“I want to thank all my backroom staff, who have been a pleasure to work with and gave me unswerving support, and also thank all the people who work at the club behind the scenes.

“I’ve met a lot of good people over the years at Dens Park and leave with a lot of happy memories. Finally, I wish the club well in the future and look forward to my next challenge in management.”