Cammy Kerr admits that when the likes of Charlie Adam and Gavin Rae were sending him messages congratulating him on becoming the new Dundee vice-captain, he couldn’t help pinching himself.
The lifelong Dark Blues fan really is living the dream at the moment.
Just two seasons ago, his Dens future was in some doubt after he returned to the club following a loan spell at Peterhead.
However, the Dundee boss at the time, Paul Hartley, threw Kerr in at the deep end against Dundee United from the start on January 2, last year.
The Dark Blues won the game with the full-back producing a man-of-the-match performance.
He has never looked back since then with new manager Neil McCann determined to reward him for the impact he has made at the club by last week making him vice-captain to skipper Darren O’Dea as well as handing him a contract extension.
That decision led to messages of support from another lifelong Dundee fan, Stoke City and Scotland midfielder Adam as well as the former player Kerr regards as his role mode, Rae.
The 21-year-old said: “It came as a surprise when the manager told me he wanted me to be vice-captain.
“I am just honoured to be given that role. Nothing will really change the way I go about my business every day but it will be good for the likes of Daz (O’Dea) and Jazza (James McPake) to continue to help me.
“They did a lot for me last season and for them to continue that will be important to help me on.
“It is weird because the only time I played with Charlie Adam was at the Julian Speroni testimonial.
“You are looking round the dressing-room and thinking, ‘Surely he’s not here!’.
“But it was great for Charlie to send me a message on social media.
“Gavin Rae as well. I can’t speak highly enough of him because of the way he was in the year we won the Championship.
“He was a great captain. He was genuinely one of the best with the way he looked after the players in the dressing-room.
“I cannot rate him highly enough for that. He looked after every single person, no matter if you weren’t playing or in the reserves – he looked after everyone.
“The way he was with us, I will probably try to do that with the younger ones and hopefully help them as well.
“I actually do pinch myself. Some days it doesn’t sink in because you are so busy all the time.
“You are training, you go home, you rest up, you have to go and do a camp for the kids . . . you never really get time to sit back.
“But the times I do, I do pinch myself.
“I think I haven’t really done anything yet but you need to keep it going. You can’t get carried away.”
Kerr has been working hard all this week in pre-season training and he believes there is a really upbeat mood in the Dundee camp.
However, he admits that the disappointments from the last campaign still resonate and the players are determined the same will not be allowed to happen again.
He added: “I think straightaway coming in this season, everything is feeling positive.
“Anyone can say that but it seems a good bunch with the boys from last year and the new signings as well.
“There are good laughs and banter amongst the boys and I think that is important.
“Everyone is working really hard on the training pitch.
“But we have it in the back of our minds that last year wasn’t good enough for Dundee and where we want to be.
“We are determined to do better.”
