The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Dens arrival has nothing to prove
DUNDEE: Loan midfielder just keen to get back to playing after frustrating spell
Scott Allan insists he does not have a point to prove to anyone after joining Dundee on a seasonlong loan from Celtic yesterday.
The 25-year-old, who started his career with city rivals United, has endured a frustrating time in the last two seasons.
The midfielder struggled to make the breakthrough at Celtic Park and then moved on loan to Rotherham United in the last campaign to work under his former boss at Hibs Alan Stubbs.
That move failed to work out after the manager was sacked and Allan was keen to return to Scotland.
That alerted new Dundee boss Neil McCann who moved quickly to sign him up and his powers of persuasion convinced the player that Dens was the correct destination to kick-start his career once again.
Allan said: “I spoke to the manager and I liked what I heard.
“For me, it is a big year just to get back playing football week in, week out.
“I think this is the right place for me just now.”
“The first year I was at Celtic I made a number of appearances off the bench and then last season I took a gamble moving down to Rotherham with Alan Stubbs,” added Allan.
“But it didn’t work out with the way we played. It didn’t suit me at all.
“So I just thought it was better being back up the road beside my family and playing football to show everybody what I can do again. I just want to get back playing football. “I don’t think I have a point to prove. “I have had two years not really playing week-in, week-out, unlike when I was at Hibs.
“That was really good for me so it has that same sort of feeling coming here and I am hoping to do the same again.”
When asked if he had any doubts about moving to a Dundee side who struggled last term, Allan said: “No, I just spoke to the manager and I could see the way he wants to take the club forward.
“I want to be a part of that and I think he will get the best out of me.
“He convinced me with the style he is wanting to play football-wise.
“He wants me to be a main part of it so it was an easy decision in the end.”
Allan also revealed that Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers, who guided the Glasgow giants to a domestic treble last season, agreed Dundee was the correct destination for him.
Allan said: “He knows Neil and he also thinks this is the right place for me at the moment.
“When he (Rodgers) came in last year, I had a lot of chats with him. He has done unbelievably well at Celtic.
“So for me not playing at Rotherham and going back to Celtic for pre-season with all those players who have been fantastic, realistically it was going to be really hard to get back into that side.
“So I had to look at what was the best option for myself and that was coming here to play for the new gaffer.”
Dundee already have a derby to look forward to at the end of next month against the Tangerines in the Betfred Cup.
As a former United player, Allan knows he will receive a lot of stick but it will be like water off a duck’s back for him.
It is something he has already experienced before – when he was still a player at Tannadice with the supporters unhappy over a contract wrangle
He convinced me with the style he is wanting to play footballwise. SCOTT ALLAN
involving the player. He said: “To be fair, the last time I had a tangerine jersey on, I was getting booed by my own fans! It was against Hibs and I’ll not forget that. “So there are no problems there. “I know there is a derby coming up but for me it is just all about getting a full pre-season under my belt and to play some games to get firing before the start of the season.”
Allan still keeps in touch with some of his former United team-mates, including Derby County front man Johnny Russell and Barry Douglas, who has just won the Turkish Cup with Konyaspor.
He added: “I still speak to Johnny. He is a good friend of mine.
“He has gone down south and done really well.
“I am also still good friends with Barry Douglas who basically wasn’t wanted by Dundee United but he has gone on to turn his career around and could potentially get another big move.
“He is a European player now and plays week-in, week-out and has won the Turkish Cup.
“It just shows you that taking a gamble sometimes and keeping your head down, you never know where you can end up.”