Dundee new boy Mark Kerr is looking forward to a bright future at Dens Park after suffering a signing-that-never-was at St Johnstone.
“You can ask all the managers everybody has said something would be done and there has just not been the finance from upstairs.
“It has been unbelievable the worst summer I have ever had. I have usually had a contract or signed an extension.
“Everything has been sorted now, though, and I am happy.”
So Smith finally has his man and he has been satisfied with the recruitment of both Kerr and full-back Brian Easton in recent days.
“Mark is a quality player and will definitely bring something extra to the team,” said the manager. “He has good experience at this level. He is a good passer and a clever player.
“I am happy that I have been able to get both Mark and Brian in recently because other clubs were interested in them. I think we have done good business.”
Saturday’s home game against Motherwell may come too soon for both new men, with a lack of match fitness perhaps restricting the pair to the bench.
Looking ahead to the visit of the Steelmen, Smith added: “Motherwell are sitting top of the league and they are there for a reason.
“It will be a very difficult game for us. The concentration levels have to be what they were at Tynecastle if we are to get a good result.”
Dundee won’t now be following up their interest in former Hibs defender Sean O’Hanlon, who had been on trial at Dens.
Former Dens manager Jocky Scott is back in football after being appointed by Aberdeen as first-team coach, working primarily with the younger members of the Dons’ squad.
The midfielder has revealed how he thought he had all but become a Saints player two weeks ago, even sampling the atmosphere from the pitch before the Perth club’s game against Dundee United.
Kerr is determined not to dwell on that episode but he was left a little frustrated by the failure to seal the deal with Steve Lomas’s side.
Asked to explain why, when everyone expected him to move to Saints, nothing came of it, Kerr said: “It was done. There was maybe no ink in the pen and then that was that but it was done two weeks ago, basically.
“I had done my medical and was on the park before the game against United. It just never happened.
“I don’t know what happened between the manager and the chairman (Steve Brown). The manager was fine but I didn’t speak to the chairman. That’s their own business.”
Rather than being left high and dry, however, Kerr was delighted to hear again from Dens boss Barry Smith.
Smith decided to resurrect his interest after the former United, Aberdeen and Dunfermline man had already spent a spell training with the Dark Blues before seemingly lining up the move to McDiarmid.
“I am happy to have signed here,” added Kerr. “It’s about football for me now, getting out there playing, giving 100% and trying to enjoy it. Hopefully we can stay up. We have a great fanbase so it would be nice to do well for them.”
“The gaffer has been absolutely brilliant. Different things happened a couple of weeks ago but he has come back in for me. I respect him for the way he has acted. He has not tried to use my situation against me.
“All season it has been a case of training at clubs and then managers saying to me that they were going to get a deal done. I have not had one negative thing said to me at the clubs I have been on trial.”
Continued…