Tony Docherty’s demands for commitment from his players extended to trying to persuade them to move to Dundee.
After filling the Dens Park managerial vacancy last summer, the Dark Blues boss had a clean slate with just three players contracted for the season ahead.
As he assembled his squad, one focus was to foster a strong bond between his players.
That extended to living arrangements and Docherty encouraged players to move closer to their place of work.
It is reminiscent of their rivals during the Jim McLean era when the Dundee United legend demanded his players live within a 25-mile radius.
Docherty explained that extra time travelling would ultimately mean less time on the training field.
Tony Docherty’s commitment demands
Asked if he had made all his players move to Dundee upon signing, Docherty told Open Goal: “I tried my best … I know from experience that travelling can affect the training, there’s no doubt about it. It can affect the preparation.
“I’ve tried to build a culture here that when you walk in the front door, by the time you leave that day you’ve learned something or you’ve got better at something.
“But to commit to that I think you need to commit. The thought of having a two-and-a-half-hour drive… it’s in your head, doing that.
“It might stop you doing your extra half hour in the gym or your extra half hour on free-kicks or whatever.
“If you’re spending more time in your car when you could be on the training ground, then of course that’s going to affect your preparation and becoming as good a professional as you can be.”
Docherty was nominated for the PFA manager of the year after leading Dundee to the top-six on their return to the Scottish Premiership.
It comes after Lyall Cameron was nominated for young player of the year and Owen Beck was named in the team of the season.
Praise for Owen Beck
Docherty described the moment he learned of Beck’s inclusion as “a moment”.
Beck had arrived in Scotland after two loan spells that had not gone to plan but hit the ground running at Dens.
“We were on a golf day with the boys and, we went to Drummoyne, and I got a phone call,” said Docherty.
“He said: ‘Gaffer, just to let you know, I’ve just had a phone call from the PFA, Craig Beattie, and he’s just told me I’ve got in the team of the year‘.
“That was a moment. But all the credit goes to him because, for how good a player he is, he wasn’t in that place, but he came here and he committed.
“The sky is the limit for that boy.”
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