Tony Docherty says one of his key ambitions as Dundee manager is to help the club’s young talent “flourish” in dark blue.
If that means academy products eventually move on to bigger things after shining at Dens Park, he’d feel it was a job well done.
Two of the key signings made by Dundee this summer have not been fresh faces, but rather securing the futures of Lyall Cameron and Josh Mulligan.
Cameron’s breakthrough season last term saw him finish the campaign as the club’s top scorer in all competitions and become the first player to ever win the club’s Player of the Year, Young Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year awards in the same season.
Mulligan, meanwhile, continued to impress in the Dundee first team, showing his versatility by playing in different positions across the league-winning campaign.
‘Massive appeal’
Docherty can’t wait to get onto the training pitch with the young duo.
“That excites me, that’s what I want this club to be,” Docherty said.
“Scott Robertson (U/18 coach) and Stephen Wright (head of academy) do a great job and I want that feeling of almost a conveyer belt of young talent.
“Cameron and Mulligan have just been called up to Scotland U/21s and you’ve got Max Anderson and Fin Robertson as talented young players as well.
“I want them to really flourish.
“But they’ll only do that if they’ve got the right type, good pros, beside them. As a staff we’ll work really hard to develop these players.
“But you’re starting from a level where they have real potential. They have shown that already but it’s about trying to get them to the next level.
“They are home grown and have an affinity with the fans. Fans identify with young, homegrown players.
“They are also getting recognition nationally so we need to try to make them even better.
“It’s hugely exciting to come into that kind of environment where you have young, hungry and talented academy graduates.
“There are also more coming through and that’s a massive appeal as a manager.”
Ryan Jack
Mulligan has made 60 first-team appearances already in his short career and adding in loan spells at Cove Rangers and Peterhead sees him near 100 appearances.
Cameron is on 88 career appearances – 20 goals – with 43 for Dundee and the remaining 45 coming in loans to Peterhead and Montrose.
A full Premiership campaign, however, will be new to them.
Docherty, though, says first-team experience is vital and uses Ryan Jack, a player he helped develop at Aberdeen before going on to Rangers and Scotland, as the ideal yardstick.
The Dundee boss added: “For me, Ryan Jack is a perfect example.
“We always thought when we went into Aberdeen that it was important for him to get games – get 50 games, get 100 games under your belt and then the world is your oyster.
“They are showing real potential and under myself and my staff we’ll try to realise and develop that potential.
“If they then become saleable assets then that’s brilliant for Dundee Football Club.
“I love to be in the position where you shake their hand when they have done the business for your club and then moving onto better things with everyone’s blessing.
“That’s the scenario you want and it hugely excites me about coming in here.”
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