Adam tells of his love affair with Dark Blues and his dream to be a boss

Club legend ponders future after super strike sinks Hibs

The future for Charlie Adam is management as the Dundee skipper ponders retirement at the end of this season.

With his Dens Park contract expiring, the 36-year-old admits he has a decision to make in the next few weeks.

With uncertainty over his future, the club’s future and who the manager might be, Adam will be in discussions with the club over the next fortnight to decide his next steps.

“I want to be a manager. I’m passionate about it, passionate about coaching and helping to develop young players,” he told the BBC.

“I’m looking forward to the future and what it brings. Whether that is playing next season but if not I’ll get my teeth into coaching and management.

“Hopefully I can keep winning games because that’s the buzz, you want to win every week and that will never leave me.”

Asked if he’d like to be part of a management team at Dens next season, Adam said: “Those discussions will happen in the next two weeks. We still have one game to go, I don’t want to distract from that. We’ll see what the future holds for me.”

On Tuesday night, Adam sealed a 3-1 victory over Hibs with a superb late strike – the 100th goal of his 18-year career – to finish off the last home match of the season on a high.

At the end of the match, the former Scotland man cut an emotional figure as he saluted the crowd in what may have been his last appearance as a Dundee player at Dens Park.

“It could possibly be my last game here in this stadium,” Adam added.

“It means a lot because this is my boyhood club. I’ve sat in those terraces and I know what it means to be a supporter of this football club.

“It’s been a tough season for them. They missed out during the pandemic and it’s been tough to watch this season.

“All I say is they come back to support the team next season and give it a right good go.

“It is a fantastic opportunity for a manager, whether it’s Mark (McGhee) or whoever John (Nelms) and Tim (Keyes) decide to bring in.

“It is a wonderful club with a good squad of players that maybe need a bit more of a freshness.”

He added: “I’ve had a wonderful two years, I thank James McPake for bringing me to the club – I got a text from him before the game and I appreciate the opportunity.

“The next two weeks will decide what happens at the club and I’ll make a decision.

“But it’s important that whoever is manager is right for the club and they can get these young players in the team.

“Performances like that from Josh Mulligan (against Hibs) has definitely given him a start for next season.”

Mulligan, meanwhile, achieved a boyhood dream after scoring his first goal for the Dark Blues at Dens.

The 19-year-old put in a man-of-the-match display in the 3-1 win against the Hibees, scoring the vital second goal.

On top of that he had a header ruled out in the first half, with replays suggesting he wasn’t offside, and had two efforts cleared off the line in the second period.

It was an all-action performance as the teenager came of age in the top flight.

He had spent the first half of the season on loan at Peterhead where he lit up League One.

Since returning he had made 11 appearances before Tuesday, though most were from the bench.

Mulligan did find the net against the Blue Toon in the Scottish Cup in February but admits scoring at Dens was a special moment for a boyhood Dee.

“It was a dream come true to score my first goal at Dens,” he said.

“All the hard sessions growing up, everything leads to that.

“Scoring in front of the fans was great, I ran over to them to celebrate and it was a brilliant feeling.

“The first one, I’ve been told it wasn’t offside which is really disappointing because I felt it was a goal at the time.

“I put my head in my jersey afterwards because I thought I’d be getting a bit of stick for celebrating like that when it wasn’t a goal!”

It may have been a first for Mulligan at Dens Park but the Hibs clash could also have been a last for a player at the other end of his career.

Mulligan says Adam has had a huge impact on his fledgling career.

“Charlie has been brilliant for us and it says everything about him that he scored a goal like that,” the youngster added. “It showed his quality.

“Last week at St Mirren it was one mistake but he’s been brilliant for us, so to come on against Hibs and score one like that said it all.

“When he stepped up to it I could see it coming, I knew if he hit it clean it would be in the back of the net.

“Charlie has been great for me and he’s been the same with all the young boys.

“He’s played at the very top, he’s been there and seen it all, so having someone like him to play alongside and learn from is brilliant.

“He’s been great to have around the changing room too.

“It will be up to him whether he wants to stay because he’s got the quality, but it’ll be down to him whether he’s playing here next year.

“He gives us that bit of extra quality from that left foot – it’s something else!”

WONDER GOAL: Charlie Adam celebrates his superb late strike against Hibs to finish off the last home match of the season on a high.

Josh Mulligan scored against Hibs.