Out at Hartley

On administration, he added: “For people who lost their jobs it was awful, such a horrible, horrible time. At our level players live pay packet to pay packet. When players are struggling to put food on the table, it hits home.

“It was sink or swim but the 11 players who ended up, everything just clicked. It was an unbelievable experience and a season that will never be recreated.

“It’s always nice to get nominated for Player of the Year. I just felt at home at Dundee, don’t know why.

“For me personally, I’m very proud I did well and the fans appreciated it. Dundee will always have a special place in my heart, that’s for sure.”

Now a Premiership winner for the seventh time with Celtic, Leigh Griffiths was also part of the Deefiant squad before signing for Wolves in January 2011.

The Scotland striker recently recalled being throttled in the showers by Dundee legend Rab Douglas after a game.

Lockwood said: “I was next to him in the shower when Rab came in. The night before Sparky had been on Facebook saying ‘This is the biggest game of my career, a chance for me to get my move,’ and I think that had annoyed Rab.

“He pinned him up against the wall in the shower, Sparky was three foot off the floor with his little legs dangling down, naked.

“It was bizarre. You don’t argue with Rab, do you?

“He got his move to Wolves anyway and, in all fairness, we didn’t really miss Sparky when he left.

“He was the only one possibly that wasn’t as much of a team player as the rest of us. So when he went we didn’t miss him much.”

Now commentating for BBC London and doing some scouting, Lockwood would like to try his hand at management – and even applied for the Dundee job again.

He said: “I’d love to be a coach or a manager but the opportunity has just never arisen.

“I haven’t made this public knowledge but I have applied for the Dundee job in the past but I don’t even get a response to my applications.

“That’s probably somewhere.

“But I would love to be a manager or coach.

“I have done my coaching badges but I have never scratched that itch.”

Paul Hartley... is not a good manmanager at all. I think he alienated a few boys. MATT LOCKWOOD

in the bin