Dundee’s departed one year later – where are 9 players to exit Dens last summer?

Dundee are set for big changes this summer with a new manager set to come in with rebuilding the Dens Park squad first on the agenda.

The vast majority of the Dark Blues squad are out of contract this summer so there is set to be a lot of change coming at Dens.

But how have those who left last year got on?

Relegation from the Premiership saw much of the squad remain but a number moved on – some retired, some didn’t return from North America and others are in the midst of a title battle in Ireland…

Charlie Adam

The former Rangers, Liverpool and Blackpool star hung up his boots after leaving Dens Park and stepped into coaching.

After a bit of experience with West Ham last summer, Adam did the same in the Burnley setup before taking on the role of assistant U/21 boss and loans manager at Turf Moor.

The Clarets will be back in the Premier League next season.

Adam, meanwhile, is interested in the vacant Dundee job.

Liam Fontaine

Fontaine brought serious experience to the Dens Park squad and helped them up through the play-offs just a few months after signing for James McPake’s side.

He would leave after a season in the Premiership to join League One new boys FC Edinburgh.

The 37-year-old made a real impact at Meadowbank as the Citizens rode high in the table.

However, form fell away and Alan Maybury’s side missed out on the play-offs, finishing sixth.

Fontaine played 34 times last season, scoring once.

Danny Mullen

Mullen scored a key goal in Dundee’s play-off final win at Kilmarnock before netting seven times in the Premiership.

This past season, though, has seen the striker make do with a substitute’s role at Partick Thistle.

Of his 26 league appearances this term, only five were starts with Mullen knocking in four goals for the Jags. One of those came in the play-off hammering of Queen’s Park last week.

They remain in the hunt for promotion alongside Dundee as they take on Ayr United in the play-off semi-final.

Declan McDaid

Former Dens winger McDaid is enjoying an unexpected title tilt with Bohemians alongside former Dens team-mate Jonathan Afolabi and ex-Dundee United man Ali Coote.

Another ex-Dundee man, John O’Sullivan, is also part of the Bohs squad.

The Dublin side have been the early pacesetters in the League of Ireland Premier Division this season but have recently dropped to third place after losing their most recent two games. The latter was to a Derry City side boasting another former Dee in Michael Duffy.

They are now five points behind leaders Shamrock Rovers but with a game in hand.

McDaid has scored twice in 15 league appearances this term, including a winner against Dundalk at the start of the campaign.

Corey Panter

The defender signed on loan from Luton Town scored on his debut against Forfar in the League Cup but would only feature twice for the club.

His second appearance came when a depleted Dee side, struck low by Covid, were beaten at Aberdeen.

Last summer he left Luton to sign for National League side Eastleigh where he has played 22 times on the way to a ninth-placed finish.

Jay Chapman

One of the strangest signings in Dundee’s recent history, Canada international Jay Chapman made just two substitute appearances for the club.

His debut in a Dundee derby was about as exciting as it got before his contract was cancelled in October with the midfielder remaining in the US.

He has since signed for USL Championship club Colorado Springs Switchbacks, arriving there in January.

The United Soccer League Championship is the second tier of US Soccer, one stage below Major League Soccer.

Chapman has played four times for his new side with Switchbacks sitting fifth in the Western Conference.

Christie Elliott

Former Partick Thistle and Carlisle man Christie Elliott announced his retirement after leaving Dundee last summer.

He played 56 times for the Dark Blues across three seasons and started the first leg of the club’s play-off final success against Kilmarnock.

Vontae Daley-Campbell

After arriving on loan from Leicester City in January, Vontae Daley-Campbell made quite an impact at Dens Park.

Storming runs from full-back promised plenty in a derby debut but then a rash red card in a crunch home game with Ross County followed.

That match heralded the end of McPake’s time in charge and Daley-Campbell finished the season with 10 appearances but no Dundee wins to celebrate.

After leaving Dens, the defender joined Championship Cardiff on a three-year deal.

But he’s only played twice – the first saw him red carded in a 3-0 home defeat to Portsmouth in the EFL Cup, the second a 1-0 loss to Coventry in the league back in October.

Cardiff finished 21st in the Championship, one place above the drop zone.

Zeno Ibsen Rossi

Another late loan signing last January, Bournemouth defender Zeno Ibsen-Rossi suffered a second straight relegation from the Scottish top-flight while at Dundee.

Rossi left the Cherries to sign for League One Cambridge, who narrowly missed out on relegation themselves this term.

They dramatically survived by one point, a final day victory over bottom-of-the-table Forest Green, after falling seven points from safety with just nine games to go.

Rossi, though, hasn’t played since December after requiring surgery on his toe in December.