When Dundee turned to managerial novice Neil McCann to save their top-tier status with just five games of the season remaining, there were many who thought the club had taken a huge gamble.
However, Faissal El Bakhtaoui was willing to wager it was a move that would pay off handsomely.
He had known McCann as a coach when he was at Dunfermline and he was certain the Sky pundit would be a success as a manager at Dens.
That has certainly been the case with the former Rangers and Scotland winger, who started his career with the Dark Blues, masterminding a huge turnaround in fortunes.
Dundee have taken seven points from his first three games in charge, with the club’s Premiership survival assured on Tuesday night without them kicking a ball as Hamilton lost at Ross County.
It is still not known if McCann will stay beyond his initial five-game remit but as Dundee gear up for tonight’s home game with Inverness, El Bakhtaoui is certain he would like his gaffer to become the next permanent manager of the club.
The 24-year-old said: “It’s very good at the moment. We have been working very hard at training with the new gaffer.
“I know the new gaffer well because I worked with him at Dunfermline.
“I know what he is like and he gives confidence to the boys.
“Some players were asking me what he was like and I told them to expect hard work – but that it would be good for us.
“He likes to give players confidence and he wants to win all the time. It is what we needed.
“The boys all listen to him. When you give players confidence they all get on board and work hard for him.
“I knew that he would come here and be a very good manager, 100 per cent.
“I knew he would be great for Dundee and you can see that with our two wins and a draw so far. He’s a good manager.”
When asked if he would like to see McCann given the job on a permanent basis, El Bakhtaoui said: “Yes, 100 per cent. I would like to see him get the job. He deserves it already for what he has done since he came here.
“We had lost seven games in a row but when he came in we won twice. He’s done a great job but we need to work hard again to make sure we stay up.”
McCann was denied a perfect start to his reign on Saturday with Ross County leaving Dens with a draw.
It was a downbeat home dressing-room afterwards but El Bakhtaoui insists that shows just how far they have come under the interim boss and the squad are determined to return to winning ways in their remaining games against Inverness and then Hamilton at the weekend.
He said: “We drew with Ross County on Saturday but I felt it was a game we should have won.
“Now we have two big matches coming up and we are looking to try to get two wins.
“Yes we were all really disappointed. We all worked so hard against Ross County and we created lots of chances to win the game.
“I think we deserved all three points but sometimes that happens in football. But we will just keep working hard.”
This is El Bakhtaoui’s first campaign in the top tier of Scottish football after playing for the Pars in League 1 last season.
He admitted it has taken a while for him to adjust but regular gym sessions have made him stronger and he believes Dundee fans will see the best from him next season.
He added: “It’s hard to make the jump from League 1 to the Premiership.
“I had one year to have a look at the players and they are bigger, stronger and faster in the Premiership.
“I’ve been going to the gym and I’m feeling a lot stronger and ready to make an impact next season.
“I decided I needed to make myself stronger. I needed that but now I feel good and I’m looking forward to next season.”
Dundee will be without long-term injury victims James McPake and Julen Etxabeguren for tonight’s game but Tom Hateley who suffered a dead leg against Ross County is expected to be fit.
