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Kane Hemmings has learned from Rangers experience

Kane Hemmings.
Kane Hemmings.

It was Rangers’ loss and Dundee’s gain that Kane Hemmings has only developed the mindset needed to be a prolific striker since he left Ibrox.

When Hemmings was given a rare opportunity towards the end of the 2012/13 season, his failure to hit the back of the net didn’t have serious consequences for the Glasgow club’s league position. The 0-0 draw took them just the 21 points clear at the top of the Third Division.

But it was a sliding doors moment for him personally, and the failure to grasp his fleeting opportunity resulted in a release by Rangers a short while later.

Now Hemmings can look back on the player he was then and compare him to the one that has been voted the Ladbrokes Premiership Player of the Month for January.

He would be an asset to Rangers now, but the Englishman can see why it didn’t work out at the time.

“I can’t really argue that they let me go,” Hemmings said. “I had a lot of injuries and the games I did play, I didn’t perform.

“There were a couple of matches at the end of the season when I played Stirling Albion and Montrose.

“Maybe it was nerves.

“I missed a couple of chances and probably got on to myself a bit too much, which is what I did when I was younger.

“Now I just get on with it and make sure I put the next one away. That’s all you can do.

“You just learn that through life. There’s no point beating yourself up.

“If fans get on to you for losing the ball are you going to stop getting on the ball the next time? You can’t. It’s your job and you need to be mentally strong.

“I’d love to go back and play in that game (the Stirling one) again. I feel like I’d bang them in. But you can’t do that. These are the things you learn.

“I was out of contract at the end of that season so I knew I was basically playing for a new deal. I didn’t impress so I can’t be too upset. That’s life. Sometimes you do it, sometimes you don’t.

“I’ve found form at Dundee, but you can’t take these things for granted.”

Since they parted ways, Hemmings’ reputation as a striker has gone in the opposite direction to Ally McCoist’s reputation as a manager.

But the 24-year-old was able to glean some valuable lessons in goalscoring from the former Scotland man.

“He was always great with me,” Hemmings said.

“He joined in training and his finishing was outrageous. It was good to watch and I learned a lot.

“It was little things in crossing and shooting drills give yourself room to attack the ball, stuff like that.

“I enjoyed working with him. He was good for me when I was injured. He got a bit of stick but that’s part and parcel of being a manager. For me personally, he was always great.

“I had a phone call from him after I left and he said ’I know that wherever you go, you’ll score goals’.”

That next destination was Cowdenbeath’s Central Park, followed by Barnsley and then Dundee.

Hemmings said: “Rangers is a massive club and I really enjoyed my time there. You don’t want to leave a club like that.

“But going away and playing for a year helped me massively.

“If it’s not meant to be for you at the time you need to go elsewhere and play, which is what I did.

“I enjoyed my time at Cowdenbeath.

“I was getting a run of games and we had a good set of lads there. It’s a great club.”

Hemmings’ goalscoring numbers make impressive reading – 10 goals in his last eight games, and 16 for the season.

“I’m playing with good players who are creating chances for me,” he said.

“If I can occupy good areas I’ll always back myself to score goals if the ball comes into the box.

“I’ve been pleased with my all-round performances as well. It hasn’t just been about scoring goals. These have been a good couple of months for me.

“It’s probably the best I’ve played.

“I had a good year at Cowden but the Premiership is a different kettle of fish to the Championship.

“I’ve always had confidence that I could do well at this level. It was just a matter of getting the chance.

“I don’t feel as if I’ve got a point to prove. I just want to go out every week and play football.”

Hemmings was the first of Dundee’s three strikers – Greg Stewart and Rory Loy being the others – to hit manager Paul Hartley’s target of 15 for the campaign.

“I just want to score as many goals as possible,” he said.

“He set us all targets of 15. It’s nice to do it first.

“We didn’t have a bet among ourselves, but we probably should have had!

“Hopefully the others can get to 15 as well. If they do, we’ll know we’ve had a good season.

“You always set yourself individual targets at the start of every season but when the gaffer sets you one you want to meet it.”

And the target for the team who have the opportunity to go above St Johnstone if they win Friday night’s Tayside derby?

“We want to cement our place in the top six,” he said.

“If you look at the table just now, we’re not too far off top four.

“Top six would be good and any higher would be a bonus.”

Another feather in Hemmings’ cap has been keeping pace with Premiership top scorer Leigh Griffiths over the last few months.

“I don’t know what the stats will be but it’s nice to be compared to him,” he said.

“He’s with the league leaders and they’ll be creating more chances than we do so to be matching him is great.

“You need to get in there to miss them, and he’s someone who will do that and will always back himself to score.”