Gerry McCabe has spoken of his delight after being appointed Dundee’s new assistant manager on a two-year deal.
The 57-year-old former Clydebank, Hamilton and Clyde midfielder quit a similar post at Queen of the South under Jim McIntyre to link up with Dark Blues boss Paul Hartley.
The pair go back a long way together with McCabe, who has also been a No 2 at Kilmarnock, Hibs, Plymouth, Dumbarton and Dunfermline, coaching Hartley 20 years ago when they were both at Hamilton.
McCabe said: “I am very pleased to be here. I got the call from Paul a week ago asking about my situation at Queen of the South. I told him how I was placed and he said he was interested in bringing me along.
“So I was very happy to come up here to speak to Paul and the owners to see what they had to say and I am delighted to be his new assistant.
“We go back a long way to Hamilton. I was Paul’s coach there about 20 years ago when he was a promising, flying winger.
“Paul has now brought me here based on my experience in football and he knows the way I work,” said McCabe.
“I am just delighted that he asked me to come along and join him.
“Jim understood the situation. I have had good times in the last few years with Jim.
“He was a player when I was a coach at Kilmarnock and then I was his assistant at Dunfermline and Queen of the South.
“But he understands why I want to come to a big club like Dundee who are in the Premiership. He is happy for me and wished me all the best.
“I had a great time working with Queen of the South last year but Jim and the board appreciate the situation I have come up to now.”
Hartley may have won successive promotions in his first three seasons as a manager but he admitted he will be “leaning” on the experienced McCabe as Dundee gear up for life in the Premiership.
He said: “We go back a long way and we have remained friends ever since I was at Hamilton.
“I thought it was important to bring in someone with Gerry’s vast knowledge and experience at the top of the game.
“I found out over a week ago that there was a chance of bringing him in and we have been in dialogue in the last couple of days.
“I am delighted to bring him here. He was a tremendous player also and I think he will help with that experience as we go into the top flight.
“It is important that I get a good backroom staff and Gerry as my right-hand man will be someone I lean on in the coming weeks and months.
“He will have a lot of responsibility to take on in the training ground. The most important thing for me is that the players will enjoy working with him.
“He is a great character and he will be good in amongst the players. But he is good on the training ground and that is key for me.
“He demands standards from players. Having spoken to lads who have worked with him in the past, he demands that a high standard is set on the training ground.”
Hartley’s summer signing spree continued at the weekend with the capture of midfielder Simon Ferry from Portsmouth.
And the manager admitted he was delighted to get the Dundonian on board.
He said: “We are active and it is important that we do some business early. Young Ferry is a young player I worked with at Celtic.
“I followed his career at Swindon and Portsmouth.
“He played a key role for Swindon when Paulo Di Canio was there helping them get promoted and he was an important player for Portsmouth last season.
“He was captain on several occasions and he will be a great character to have about the place.
“But he also has great energy and will play box-to-box midfield.
“He has good quality on the ball and he is someone the supporters will take to.
“He enjoys playing football, which is a key thing for me.”