Returning to dugout wasn’t a knee-jerk reaction for McPake
THE shackles are off. An appointment with his knee surgeon in London has freed James McPake from the protective brace that encased his left leg for 12 weeks. The notion of freedom is apt for the new Dunfermline manager, who spent the initial stages of his convalescence confined to bed and forced to confront the feelings and regrets of his sacking from Dundee.
It was the underlying knee injury that pushed him down the path to management in the first place, his retirement from playing at Dens Park fast-tracking him into a coaching job and ultimately the main role.
Having been forced out in February, he decided to draw a line under the Dundee experience by having the corrective surgery that would allow him to stride into what he hopes will be a brighter future.
In normal circumstances, the 38-year-old might have waited a little longer to get back into the game but he found Dunfermline’s pitch compelling.
‘I had a couple of opportunities to get back in that I declined,’ he says. ‘Firstly, because I needed the time out but also because the knee was an issue.
‘When this one came up, there was something telling me I couldn’t not speak to Dunfermline.
‘I don’t have a divine right to manage at a certain level. During my time in the Championship with Dundee, Dunfermline were right up there with us. I felt this was a right good opportunity.’
Initially crestfallen at Dundee’s decision to let him go while the team remained active in the Scottish Cup and firmly in the mix to avoid relegation, McPake was encouraged to hold his head high and not hide following his career blow.
Rather than mope, he kept a high profile, accepting offers of television analysis work and engaging with followers via his social media account.
And so, by the time he awoke from surgery in mid-April, he was better placed to mull over the realities of his professional situation. That is, when his three daughters would let him.
‘It was the first time I had been out of a job,’ he says. ‘I was so uncomfortable I couldn’t sleep — so I’d get three or four hours a night and the rest was just thinking time.
‘I had no option but to lie in my bed which was good — but it was
also enough.
‘The kids were great. They were keen to get me away from the football. They were like little doctors with my knee as well, so it was great to have that time with them.
‘My family has always been my focus but I got carried away with football and immersed myself too much in my job.
‘Spending time with my girls made me realise how much I’d missed. Grace is coming up on three, the other two are seven and eight.
‘Spending all day in the house with the little ones made me realise how much I’d been missing. You need that switch-off time.
‘I will get the balance right now. It will make me a better dad, one who is there more.
‘I will be a better manager, fresher for decision-making. And I won’t feel guilty about it.
‘I come into this job really fresh from the break, in a better place to take a team.’
Post-McPake, there was no magical recovery for Dundee under his replacement Mark McGhee. The club was relegated to the Championship, a division vacated by the Pars who had also gambled on a bounce that never materialised under John Hughes.
The Fifers start as favourites for this season’s League One title but McPake is wary of overburdening a group of players sucked into a losing cycle last term.
‘There will be some really tough games,’ he warned. ‘We deserve to be in League One but we can’t allow the players to dwell on relegation.’
Spending time with the kids helped me realise how much I’d missed