Declan Gallagher has joked that he’ll keep his phone on throughout the summer just in case Dundee United have second thoughts on their decision to release him.
Gallagher, 34, was outstanding against Aberdeen on Saturday; winning everything in the air, making a host of key blocks and notching the crucial leveller that inspired the Tangerines to a 2-1 victory.
It was the perfect way to sign off for a player who has been crucial – on and off the pitch – during the Terrors’ rise from the doldrums of the Championship to European qualification.
And Gallagher has no problem confessing to a degree of satisfaction after proving plenty of naysayers wrong.
“I came to United after a lot of people saying that I was finished at this level,” he said.
“The same clubs that have doubted me for so long – Aberdeen, St Mirren – and said that I was finished; we’ve just beaten them both to fourth place. The fact that I got a goal just makes it even sweeter.
“I’m not sure where my next journey will be but I’m just happy in the moment, celebrating with all the boys. Who knows, maybe I’ll get my agent to drop another text to United and see if they want to do a U-turn.
“My phone’s always on so I’ll happily take the call!”
With that notion likely a fanciful one, Gallagher smiled: “I’ve loved my time here, but these things happen in football.
“The manager and the club have a different vision and I’m not part of that. I’m just buzzing about the part that I have played for the past two seasons. I’ll be delighted to see them go into Europe and may even come to a few games myself.”
A man in demand
While this marks the end of Gallagher’s journey with United, his performance against Aberdeen and level of consistency in the top-flight underlines that he has plenty of gas in the tank.
There have been a host of informal enquiries regarding his next step. St Johnstone, Dunfermline, Raith Rovers and a club in the Indian Super League can be counted among a swathe of admirers.
Expect a few more suitors to throw their hat in the ring, too.
“I don’t think I even have to say that I can still perform at this level,” he continued. “I show it out there every week. I’ve played 34 out of 38 Premiership games – one of the highest in the squad.
“There were a couple of games there where I was a little rusty because I hadn’t trained, but I think everyone can see that when I’m fully fit, there are not too many better centre-halves in the Premiership than me. I’m happy to say that.
“I was disappointed I wasn’t in team of the year, to be honest!”
A deserved prize
United’s defensive stability – to which Gallagher was integral – was the backbone to the Terrors’ return to continental competition.
Unless Aberdeen win the Scottish Cup, the Tangerines will enter the Europa League at the second qualifying round.
And while that stoicism wavered after the split as a paper-thin squad was pushed to its limits, Gallagher is keen to emphasise that their prize was well-earned over the course of the entire campaign.
“No United fan is going to remember that we got beat in a couple of games,” he continued. “It’s been a great season.
“We deserved fourth place. We’ve not been out of the top six all season, so it’s not as if we came out of nowhere to grab a place. We deserve to be here.
“Did we tail off a bit towards the end? Maybe. But we accumulated the points over a whole season. Even if it took us until the last day, everybody should be so proud of what we’ve done.”
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