Spence: I’ll relish my shot at the big time
THERE is an old saying that when opportunity calls, you best answer on the first ring. When Dundee midfielder Lewis Spence’s big break arrived, however, he almost hung up the phone fearing he was the victim of a prank.
Seeing the name ‘Neil McCann’ bleeping on his mobile was strange for the 21-year-old who had long been out of favour at Dunfermline.
After two successful loan spells at Brechin City, he had agreed to a summer move to the part-time Championship side.
But McCann rated Spence highly from his time working on Jim Jefferies’ coaching staff in Fife and after taking the Dundee job permanently he handed the youngster an unexpected shot at the top flight.
‘The move to Dundee came out of the blue one night after the gaffer got the job at Dens Park. But at first I thought it was a prank,’ smiled Spence.
‘I hadn’t really kicked a ball for a couple of years, so for a Premiership club to want me was a shock. I had been talking with Brechin and I felt I just needed game time in the Championship.
‘I had agreed terms to go parttime but I hadn’t signed anything.
‘Thankfully Brechin helped me out when Dundee came calling. Darren Dods (Brechin manager) was keen for me to go as it was a bigger and better move for me.
‘Darren was great with me. A lot of managers could have said: “You’ve agreed terms, you aren’t going”. But he wanted me to move to the Premiership.
‘When Neil McCann was at Dunfermline, he was always helping and encouraging me, and telling me he believed in me. He was a big influence on my career at East End Park.
‘I didn’t expect him to call but I appreciate everything.
‘I know it was a big risk for him to bring me to Dundee.’
Instead of running out in front of the famous Brechin hedge at Glebe Park every second week, Spence made his Dundee debut in the more auspicious surroundings of Ibrox last Saturday.
But a 4-1 loss to Rangers left McCann’s men bottom of the Premiership on goal difference.
However, Spence was not overawed by the challenge of facing Niko Kranjcar, the gifted former Tottenham and Croatia international midfielder.
‘I enjoyed the experience of playing at Ibrox in front of a big crowd — even if the result was really poor,’ he said. ‘It is not nice to get beaten at all, let alone 4-1.
‘I had been to Ibrox before as a young boy but I had never played there, so on a personal level I enjoyed getting 90 minutes.
‘Playing in front of a big crowd doesn’t really bother me — it is just a game of football.
‘There was a wee bit of nerves five minutes before the game but they disappeared when it started.
‘You want to play against the best and guys like Niko Kranjcar, who has played English Premier League football.
‘Hopefully the experience will help me in the future.’
Today, struggling Dundee host a St Johnstone side who are unbeaten in the league.
Spence admits he owes it to McCann to help lift Dundee up the table.
‘I thank Neil McCann for the opportunity and I’m looking to repay him,’ he said. ‘We have to keep it a wee bit tighter at the back and be a bit more aggressive against St Johnstone.
‘But it is also about having belief and a wee bit of luck as well.
‘St Johnstone are a well organised side who finish in the top four or five every season.
‘They all work hard and they have a player on form right now in Michael O’Halloran.
‘With the squad we’ve got here I think we can finish top six.’
Meanwhile, St Johnstone striker Steven MacLean expects Dundee to possess all the fighting qualities of his old Rangers team-mate McCann.
He said: ‘Neil is competitive. Even in training, when his team wasn’t winning he was running about kicking everyone. I’m sure he will take that competitive streak into management. I hope Neil will be a top manager — after we take three points off him.’