Gary Irvine has pinpointed a former Dundee team-mate as the man the Dark Blues will have to keep a close eye on against Raith tonight.
John Baird spent last season at Dens before making what proved to be an ill-fated move to Partick Thistle.
When he was released by the Jags at the end of January, he signed up for what is his second stint at Stark’s Park, having previously played there between 2010 and 2012.
The striker has now scored three goals in six games for Grant Murray’s side, and Irvine is wary of the threat the 28-year-old possesses.
He said: “Raith are always tough opponents. They set themselves up well and are hard to break down.
“They’ve got good quality. We’re fully aware that it will be a hard game.
“John Baird is a big threat. He’s a good striker and we know what he’s all about. He’s played in the First Division for a number of years now and proved he can score goals.
“I played with him last season in the SPL, so we know what he has to offer. We’ll need to keep a close eye on him.”
Irvine was part of the St Johnstone squad that won promotion from the old First Division in 2009 and he knows exactly what Dundee have to do if they hope to go up from the Championship, with the table-topping Dark Blues currently sitting just ahead of nearest challengers Hamilton on points difference.
Irvine said: “We’ve just got to do everything right in the run-in. We have to be professional in every game.
“Every match is massive. That’s the way you need to approach it.
“Teams always make it hard coming to Dens Park, whether we’re challenging for the league or not.
“That’s just the way of it. It will never change.
“But as for us being up there and challenging, we’ve got to treat every game with respect.
“We need the same commitment as we showed on Saturday at Livi.
“The season has been a bit up and down, but it’s all about what we do from now in that counts.”
Monday was Irvine’s 29th birthday, but he revealed he had to put the celebrations “on ice”.
Like the rest of his team-mates, he trained in the morning and then plunged into an ice bath one of the measures introduced by boss Paul Hartley.
Birthday or not, Irvine just had to grin and bear it, especially as there is a financial penalty to pay for anyone trying to dodge them.
Irvine confessed: “I like the ice baths. It’s all part of what we do. We’ve been told it’s scientifically proven that it’s good for you.
“It helps you recover quicker, feel fresh, and you really just have to get on with it.
“It’s a bit of banter between the boys. Some have less pain threshold than others. Some try and dodge it, but we’ll still get a few pounds off them.
“Peaso (Peter MacDonald) does the fines and I actually help out as well. It’s a tough task trying to get money out of some of the lads.
“There are a few tight pockets, like Peaso himself. I’ve known him for years and he’s hard to get a penny out of.”