Elliott Parish will have No 12 on the back of his Dundee goalie’s shirt this season while new signing Jack Hamilton will wear No 1.
However, the Englishman insists both know the battle to start is still on and will continue all season.
And as determined as both men are to be first choice, the good thing for Parish is he’s sure the rivalry will be a healthy one.
“Everywhere you go as a goalkeeper these days you know you are going to have a real challenge to get the jersey,” he said.
“When the club brings a new keeper in you just hope he’s a good lad and Jack absolutely is, he’s a really good character and he is a good goalkeeper as well.”
The matter of which number they’ll each wear is not an issue for him and whoever gets the nod when the Betfred Cup kicks off at Stirling Albion next week, he knows that battle to play won’t be over.
“I will be No 12 this year and Jack will be No 1 but that does not bother me at all. It’s only a number and I want to play, as does Jack.
“The jersey is up for grabs and that’s the important thing. If you don’t get it for that first game it’s about working hard and being ready when your chance comes.
“Throughout my career I’ve learned how long seasons are and even more so you look at the evidence of last season. I don’t think I looked like getting in for quite a while and then I did and played all the games.
“The characters we both are, we are good friends already I think but we both want to play and we’re working very hard. That competition can only be good for Dundee.”
The Dark Blues have been in Portugal for a pre-season training camp since Wednesday. They finish off that trip with a friendly against local side SC Farense on Tuesday.
While the weather in Scotland means, for once, it’s been a case of more of the same in terms of conditions in the Algarve, Parish has enjoyed getting away. And what he’s seen has left him optimistic.
“We’ve got good numbers now and some really good players have come in.”
This article originally appeared on the Evening Telegraph website. For more information, read about our new combined website.