Dundee’s latest signing Niall McGinn says he’s already seen enough at Dens Park to suggest the club can steer clear of relegation this season.
The Aberdeen favourite called time on his Pittodrie career after almost 10 years to join James McPake’s side as they scrap at the foot of the Premiership.
That’s after a lot of time spent on the Dons bench in the first half of the campaign, something he’s keen to remedy at Dens Park.
“It is always frustrating when you are not playing, every player wants to be playing and getting opportunities,” McGinn said after making his Dundee debut in Wednesday’s 0-0 draw at St Johnstone.
“I didn’t get that so it was the right moment in my career to move on.
“I had been at Aberdeen a long time so it was nice to get a good reception from the Dundee fans.
“I played against Dundee many times and it was good to get such a warm welcome.
“Hopefully I can reward them with good performances on the pitch.”
‘A lot of talent’
He added: “I only had one training session before the St Johnstone game.
“So I am delighted to be back playing football again, I thought we created chances and were defensively excellent.
“It’s always tough going there, I don’t think I have enjoyed many games at McDiarmid Park in my career.
🔴 358 Appearances.
⚽ 87 Goals.
🏆 2014 League Cup Winner.❤️ Thank you @nmcginn10. pic.twitter.com/yIyeQqW5Fk
— Aberdeen FC (@AberdeenFC) January 24, 2022
“It wasn’t a classic but it’s good to get started, get a point and we will look forward to the weekend now.
“There is a lot more to come from this team, I know from playing against them how good the squad is here.
“There is a lot of talent here, the likes of Charlie Adam did it against Aberdeen this season so if we can keep boys fit then we have a good group.
“I have seen that already in the couple of days and there’s a good camaraderie in the dressing-room.”
Big games to come
After making an impact as a second-half substitute in Perth, McGinn is keen to get a go from the start over the next week or so.
Dundee face a crucial eight days where they play three home matches back-to-back, starting with St Mirren on Saturday, a massive derby on Tuesday before Ross County arrive next weekend.
And McGinn sees that triple-header as an opportunity to get some points on the board.
“Every game is a big game, we know in this league if you win a few you can climb the table so we want to do that over the next few weeks,” he said.
“We have a lot of big games coming up. The derby was the first game I looked for when I knew the move was happening.
“We have St Mirren first so it’s good to have two home games to look forward to.
“We have to get wins, we are half-way through the season so we need to build confidence throughout the squad.
“You do that by winning games and there’s no doubt this squad is capable of doing that.
“I just want to be playing with a smile on my face between now and the end of the season.
“Hopefully I can come in here, help the squad here and help us get up the table.”
