Craig Curran has admitted he short-changed Dundee last season – but has pledged to do everything he can to pay the club and its supporters back in the new campaign.
The Dark Blues striker endured a miserable few months at Dens Park after making the move up the road from Tannadice in January.
The former Ross County man took time for some self-reflection in the summer and highlighted his poor “conditioning” as one of the issues.
After failing to score in 16 appearances in 2018/19, the 29-year-old is up and running with his strike in the 3-0 Betfred Cup win against Raith Rovers on Saturday.
And it may be the start of Dundee fans seeing the real Craig Curran.
“I had to pick myself up,” he said.
“Sometimes you need to go away and be honest.
“I let a lot of people down last year with my conditioning – myself, my manager, my team-mates, the supporters and the club. It wasn’t up to scratch and the buck stops with me.
“I knew it wasn’t good enough.
“I’m not blaming anyone else. It wasn’t good enough from the start.
“I’m a grown man. I know myself and it will leave a bitter taste in my mouth.
“I’ve come back this season knowing that had to change because of the way I play.
“For me to score goals and set them up I need to be in the right condition.
“I’m big enough to hold my hands up and say that.
“There’s a bit of grit and determination there to get back to the way I used to be.
“I’ve come back for pre-season and been flying. I’ve put in a lot of work on my own, lost a bit of weight and got myself right.
“Last season is in the past. There’s nothing I can do about that now but this season you can see the difference.”
Curran’s goal came in front of nearly 1,400 travelling fans who were as happy for him to get off the mark as he was.
“I’m grateful for how they’ve been with me,” he said. “They’ve been brilliant since I’ve come in. I’ve not had one bit of bother.
“I thank them for sticking with me.
“It was nice to give them something back today. I could feel that they were pleased for me, which meant a lot when I put it away in front of them.
“I’m looking forward to scoring some more.
“My game is about bringing a lot to the team but ultimately you’re judged on goals.”
