I’ll move on in the summer, but first I aim to win a cup at United

SAYS GARY MACKAY-STEVEN

FOR many players effectively working a s eason- long notice period before an amicable parting of the ways, the temptation to bolt for the border in January must be very real.

Gary Mackay-Steven has made no secret of his desire to attend to unfinished business in England next summer and, unquestionably, will be made lucrative offers to accelerate that process at the turn of the year.

Four largely unfulfilled years with Liverpool and Fulham, which preceded his return to Scotland with Airdrie, are the main motivation to cut it down south at the second time of asking. But Dundee United’s no-show in this year’s Scottish Cup Final has equally steeled the winger to first leave Tayside with a winner’s medal to his name.

Even four months after their defeat to St Johnstone, the nature of that loss hurts more than the result itself.

Mackay-Steven was just one of a number of players who did not come close to doing themselves justice at Celtic Park in last season’s showpiece — a fact they have bitterly regretted every day since.

‘I have loved my time here and will give everything for United until the end of the season,’ said the man from Thurso. ‘But ultimately I want to play my football down in England.

‘I want to move on and do that at the end of the season.

‘But before that I want to stay here and win something.

‘This team is capable of winning something and I want to be part of that before I go, which would make up for the Cup Final.

‘We had our end- of- season night with the boys on the Sunday (after) and it was still bitter then.

‘After that, everyone went on holiday and even then, when you thought about football, it was the Cup Final in your mind.

‘You try to switch off but it’s not nice to end the season that way.

‘So it wasn’t until we came back for pre- season that you start getting your heads together and say: “Let’s make up for it this season”.’

Now with the prospect of a visit to Easter Road in the League Cup quarter-finals next month, courtesy of their late victory over Dundee, Jackie McNamara’s side are closing in on retribution for that bitter disappointment in May.

Without an appearance in the final of this competition since losing to Rangers in 2008, Mackay- Steven believes a fitting personal swansong would be to bring the trophy back to Tannadice for the first time since 1981.

‘The aim is to have better runs in the League Cup because we want to get to a final,’ he added.

‘We’re in the quarters, so we’re still i n with the same shout as everyone else.

‘Obviously the Scottish Cup Final last season was really disappointing and it does spur you on.

‘We felt we didn’t cover ourselves with glory, so we want to go one better this season and get some silverware. St Johnstone were better in every department that day and it’s still hard to speak about.

‘We didn’t do ourselves justice but we have to do the talking on the pitch now.

‘If one positive comes from it, it can spur us on to win something because we don’t want to feel like we did that day ever again.’

Successive derby victories have gone a long way to easing the pain. Jaroslaw Fojut’s 92nd-minute header was a sweet moment f or all in Tangerine on Wednesday, but for Mackay- Steven it was especially gratifying.

Booed every time he touched the ball by a Dundee support still bizarrely disputing the merits of the penalty he won at Dens Park four days previously, the player’s assist at the winning goal ensured he had the last laugh.

‘It was a great way to win the derby on Wednesday, especially after the game being so tight,’ he added.

‘I’d imagine it was a sickener for them but our dressing room was very happy. I got a lot of stick when I came on but that’s part and parcel of a derby.’

United’s emotions at the end of a pulsating f i nale were more rooted in relief than joy.

Despite enjoying a man advantage f or the bulk of the game, they toiled to break d o wn a dogged Dark Blue rearguard until the Pole’s late intervention.

Such was the frustration of t he lateness of the defeat that one Dundee fan even attempted to break up the home side’s celebration after charging on to the field of play.

‘If anything, Dundee going down to 10 men made it harder for us because they camped in and made it hard for us,’ MackaySteven added.

‘Dundee started well and played very well, so they deserve a lot of credit.

‘I didn’t see the guy run on the park, I’ve heard since that there was a bit of a melee. ‘I don’t know who he ran to. It was a bitter defeat for Dundee after playing so well.’