Dee boost as Mcdaid loan to Partick is called off

Declan Mcdaid will be staying at Dundee and not going on loan to Partick Thistle. The plan had been for the winger to head to Firhill for game time as soon as the lower leagues kicked off again.

With the green light now having been shown to Leagues One and Two to resume, a decision had to be made by both the player and his manager James Mcpake.

With Mcdaid now looking more like his old self and having started the Dark Blues’ 2-1 win over Inverness Caley Thistle on Tuesday night, he will be going nowhere.

Mcpake, who takes his team to Tynecastle to face Championship leaders Hearts tomorrow, confirmed: “Declan isn’t going to Partick Thistle.

“When we came back from lockdown – he won’t mind me saying this – he wasn’t quite the Declan that we had relied on a lot last year.

“He kind of felt he needed a run and Partick came in for him.

“It was one we were very reluctant to do at the time but the player felt he needed to go and play football,” added Mcpake.

“He had had a long layoff and lockdown had been tough for people, including footballers. He just didn’t seem himself.

“I kid you not, from the day we spoke to Partick to say we would do it – working on the basis that they got back playing – he has been like a different person.

“He felt he needed something to change and to get his confidence back,” added the Dens gaffer.

He added: “No disrespect to Partick but he still has another year to go at Dundee and maybe the penny dropped.

“He has been great in training and you would have seen him in our team earlier had the games not been called off.

“He made the bench at Morton and did really well. It was enough to earn a start and he got that on Tuesday night.

“The decision was made and we said that to him. He told us that he wants to stay here and that he feels like himself again.

“Partick might not be too happy about it. But if (Thistle manager) Ian Mccall had a player who had been looking so good in training then I’m sure he would have done the same thing.

“We have told Thistle and I don’t think it was met with much surprise.

“I would have been kicking myself had Declan gone to Partick and lit that league up after it restarted.”

Mcpake revealed he has been in daily contact with the self-isolating Charlie Adam, who should be available to face Dunfermline next midweek if that game goes ahead.

“Charlie is feeling better and I have been speaking to him every day,” said Mcpake.

Of course, Dundee will be desperate to give a better account of themselves against Hearts than they did in the Championship season-opener at Tynceastle back on October 16.

It was a Friday night horror show as they shipped six goals and scored just two.

However, they were hugely impressive when the teams last met – at Dens on January 2.

Goals from Jordan Mcghee, Danny Mullen and Jonathan Afolabi earned them an eyecatching 3-1 victory over Robbie Neilson’s men.

“A lot has changed for both teams since that first game at Tynecastle,” said Mcpake.

“This will be very different. They have had players come in since then, as have we.

“We just didn’t show up that night and we know that can’t be the case this Saturday.

“We want to be on the front foot and have a go at them.”

Meanwhile, the Dark Blues are waiting to hear if next Tuesday’s game against Dunfermline – scheduled for East End Park – will go ahead, with the Pars’ having had to cancel the Fife derby against Raith Rovers due to coronavirus issues.

James Mcpake.