Gary Mackay-Steven isn’t the sort of player Jackie McNamara would have liked to come up against as a player, but he’s exactly the type he wants in his ranks now he’s a manager.
The new Dundee United boss has admitted he may have had to resort to the odd foul or two to keep the skilful winger in check if he came down his flank in his full-back days.
That’s what happened when Hearts were the opponents at the weekend, when Mackay-Steven drew foul after foul on him.
“I think I’d have been sent off as well (Ryan Stevenson was red-carded), and the scissor tackle doesn’t go down too well these days either,” McNamara joked.
Not that he believes the former Liverpool youth needs any more protection from the officials than he’s already getting.
He noted: “Three players were booked and one sent off for fouling him. He took a few sore ones but that shows he is being protected. That might not have happened when I was playing.”
McNamara believes it’s a combination of skill set and self-belief that is helping MacKay-Steven to thrive.
He observed: “He takes men on and he’s confident in his ability. That’s the big thing having the ability to go and beat players.
“That’s what people want to see, lads like that who express themselves and have creativity.
“Him and Johnny Russell have the energy and skills to go and hurt teams.
“I knew what they were about before I came here, and it’s been great to work with them over the last couple of weeks.”