Whatever scrape Fabian Caballero got into or mistake he made, there was no staying mad at the Dundee icon.
Saturday saw fans at Dens Park pay tribute to one of their favourites after the tragic news of his death at the age of 46.
Caballero spent five seasons with the Dark Blues, playing 142 times and scoring 26 goals.
Former Evening Telegraph chief football writer Tom Duthie and sports editor Graeme Finnan joined Courier Sport’s Dundee FC writer George Cran to remember Caballero’s time with Dundee.
Monday’s Twa Teams, One Street – the popular podcast from The Courier – brought back fond memories of a Dens Park favourite.
Former Tele sports editor and Dundee fan Graeme Finnan said: “He was a great player to watch. He was a terrific, terrific player.
“A bull of a man. Powerful, but with great ability.
“And I think, for me, what I always remember is just his smile, he always had a smile on his face.
“He enjoyed life and he never took himself too seriously.”
‘Everybody loved him’
Tom Duthie covered Dundee at the time and recalls an episode that summed up Caballero’s persona.
“Fabian was a lad who could get into all sorts of scrapes, but I never saw anyone stay mad at him for more than five minutes. Because he was just a naturally nice, nice person,” he said.
“When you interviewed Fabian, you came away thinking you were the special one.
“He was an immensely talented footballer and I don’t know that he ever actually realised that himself. He just thought, well, that’s what you do when you get the ball. No airs or graces.
“I’ll tell a wee story that sums up his attitude and his character and what a nice lad he was.
“On the terrible day that he lost his job at Dundee because the club went into administration, he emerged from these big double doors at Dens and he saw us [the press] all standing there and the first thing he did was smile.
“And I said, ‘Fabian, you’ve just been paid off. No smile!’
“And Fabian being Fabian, he went: ‘OK’
“He went back through the doors, came out again looking glum for the photographers and then went, ‘is that OK?’
“It was just the kind of lad he was, so obliging, so nice.
“He could turn up days late and several pre-seasons did. But again, he had that thing about him where he was just said sorry and smiled and everybody liked him, everybody loved him.
“It’s just such a tragedy.”
Cammy Kerr testimonial
Caballero returned to Dundee last November to take part in Cammy Kerr’s testimonial at Dens Park.
Courier Sport’s George Cran said: “It was a really sad day [when the news broke on Saturday], a shock at 46. It’s no age at all.
“But he was obviously back for Cammy Kerr’s testimony last year. And I think speaks to his love of Dundee. He jumped at the chance.
“There was lots of Dundee kit and you weren’t supposed to take any but I think Fabian made sure he got as much as he could in that suitcase before he got home!
“It shows how much he loved it here.
“It was one of those special players that are special on the pitch but the relationship between the player and the fans is mutual.
“There’s just so much joy and love in there.
“It was a sad day.”
Twa Teams, One Street – the only podcast as obsessed by Dundee and Dundee United as you are – is out every Monday and Thursday on podcast feeds and YouTube (see below).
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