Antonio Portales has a dream, a dream of winning a trophy with Dundee.
It has been over 50 years since the Dark Blues last lifted a major title.
That was the League Cup way back in 1973.
In 2024, the current Dens crop are three games away from emulating that success.
They do, though, have a big, big challenge ahead of them – a trip to Rangers awaits in the quarter-final.
Ibrox is a venue Dundee haven’t won at since 2001, however, when a different player from across the Atlantic proved critical, Claudio Caniggia.
Portales, though, is bullish about his side’s chances this weekend despite going into the game on the back of a defeat to Ross County.
Asked about Ibrox, the Mexican said: “It will be good. It’s football, we go there to play our game and will focus on our job.
“The team knows how important this game is.
“If we prepare well we can win this game, that’s really important.
“The players are really focused.”
‘We can say Dundee FC is here’
Portales played a part in a Monterrey cup win in 2017 back in his homeland and also won lower league titles with both Atletico San Luis and Atlante.
“It’s amazing, amazing with the fans and the atmosphere,” he added.
“I would like to win something with Dundee FC, it would be a dream.
“The team has a very good opportunity right now against Rangers.
“We can say ‘Dundee FC is here’.
“We have worked hard to have this opportunity. It is our objective to win a trophy or something.
“All the players have the same objective.
“It’s been too long since Dundee won a trophy, and 21 years since the club went to a semi-final is too long.
“Why not win something? It’s possible, everything is possible.”
Conversation