The search for Dundee’s 36th permanent manager is on.
After two years in charge, Tony Docherty’s time at the club was brought to an end with the Dark Blues saying results had fallen below the standard expected this season.
Docherty’s time in charge had brought a top-six finish in his first campaign along with nominations for Manager of the Year.
However, the second season proved far more tricky and safety from relegation was only assured on the final day of the campaign.
Less than 24 hours later, he was out of a job and Dundee’s search for his replacement began.
Who could it be? Courier Sport details runners and riders for the Dens Park job.
Shaun Maloney
The former Celtic and Scotland star is the strong favourite to take over.
Maloney played for Dundee technical director Gordon Strachan at both Parkhead and the national team.
And the Dark Blues moved to appoint Maloney back in 2022 following their relegation to the Championship.
Talks broke down with Maloney’s reservations about the situation the club was in as they headed for the Championship too strong to overcome.
However, Dundee are in a far healthier position now with a third season of Premiership football to look forward to and the club bedded into a new training centre.
Maloney, too, is much more experienced after more than two years in charge of Wigan Athletic during a turbulent time for the Latics.
He led Wigan to safety in League One despite an eight-point deduction as the club went through a change of ownership.
He was sacked in March with the club 15th in the third tier.
Neil Lennon
The link to Gordon Strachan should not be discounted and Lennon is the most-decorated of his former players who have gone into management.
Lennon is currently in charge at Dunfermline Athletic in the Championship but is yet to extend his stay at East End Park.
Now with 15 years of experience, Lennon has managed Celtic, Hibs, Bolton, Omonia, Rapid Bucharest and now Dunfermline.
He has won 12 trophies as a manager, including league titles with Celtic and Hibs.
Stuart Kettlewell
Kettlewell has been out of work since leaving Motherwell in January after leaving the Steelmen in fifth place in the Premiership.
Over his 92 matches in charge of the Fir Park club, Kettlewell earned a 40% win ratio and won the Championship title with Ross County.
The 40-year-old was very outspoken about the state of the Dens Park pitch last season, however, and memories of that won’t endear him to Dundee chief John Nelms.
Temuri Ketsbaia
This blast from the past made a bid to return to Scottish football earlier this season after applying for the vacant Motherwell job.
The Georgian international was among the frontrunners, only to eventually be pipped by Michael Wimmer.
Ketsbaia’s fondness for Dundee could prove even more enticing for the former international boss.
The 57-year-old has managed some huge clubs including Olympiakos and AEK Athens as well as leading Anorthosis to their first ever Champions League group stage.
Ketsbaia has also managed the Georgia national team and was most recently in charge of Cyprus before leaving last September.
Mark Fotheringham
Another wildcard option could be the former Huddersfield manager and Hertha Berlin caretaker boss.
The Dundonian has attended a number of games at Dens Park over the past season and is keen to get back into management.
He joined Swansea as assistant manager in March as caretaker boss Alan Sheehan saw out the season. Sheehan has since taken the job full-time but admitted changes may come in his backroom staff.
Fotheringham had two spells as a player at Dundee and has built a strong reputation as a coach in Germany, working as assistant to Felix Magath at Hertha Berlin and Jurgen Klinsmann with the South Korea national team.
Darren O’Dea
A former captain at Dundee, O’Dea has built a strong reputation as a coach at Celtic.
The former Republic of Ireland international is in charge of professional player pathway at Parkhead and previously B team boss.
Recent weeks have seen Swansea City move to take O’Dea on as Sheehan’s assistant manager, which could see Fotheringham depart. That deal is close but has not been confirmed as yet.
O’Dea retains positive relationships with those in charge at Dens Park.
Charlie Adam
Another former Dundee skipper could be tempted back to his boyhood club.
After leaving his first manager job at Fleetwood Town in December, the ex-Liverpool and Blackpool star joined Everton as their set-piece coach.
Adam is not long in the role under David Moyes but the call of his hometown club is always strong.
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