Returning Dundee striker Zak Rudden has a “clean slate” at Dens Park says Tony Docherty.
Rudden spent the second half of last season on loan at St Johnstone where he played his part in their survival in the Premiership.
The young striker wasn’t one of the many Dees out of contract this summer with the deal signed in January 2022 running through to the summer of 2025.
And now he has the chance to impress a new manager when he returns for pre-season training in the coming weeks.
Remarkably Rudden will be training under his fourth Dundee boss in just 18 months after being signed by James McPake before Mark McGhee and then Gary Bowyer took over.
‘Best out of him’
But Docherty is well aware of the potential in Rudden having watched him over the years.
“Zak Rudden is a player I have monitored for a while and admired,” Docherty said.
“I saw him as a young kid at Rangers and he has real talent.
“As a striker he’s technically a really good player.
“I’m hoping with him coming in the building now and working with me, I can get the best out of him as much as I can.
“I know he went out on loan last season and I watched a lot of him last season doing analysis on St Johnstone.
“It’s a new season for him, a new start, so I’m really looking forward to getting him in and seeing how much we can develop his potential.”
‘Ball is in his court’
The top flight will hold few surprises for Rudden having played for both Dundee and St Johnstone in the Premiership.
Goals in that division, though, have been in short supply, something the player himself will be determined to remedy.
And Docherty insists it’s up to the Scotland U/21 international to impress.
The Dens boss added: “He has experience in the Premiership and, by all accounts, he is a really good kid.
“He’s working with a new manager and it’s a clean slate so let’s see how he does.
“Players come back on June 21 and they’ve got a close season programme to work on before then so he can come in and hit the ground running.
“He’s in the building and I’m a new manager so the ball is in his court.
“He has to take responsibility but he’s a talented boy and it’s about marrying everything together to get the best out of him.”
In his time at Dundee, Rudden has scored nine goals in 40 appearances with eight of those coming in the first half of last season.
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