Dundee skipper Josh Meekings is hoping the Kenny Miller effect will provide the big boost the team need to secure their first Premiership win of the season against Motherwell this afternoon.
The Dark Blues have lost their opening three games in the league so far and sit rooted to the foot of the table.
However, manager Neil McCann snapped up his former Rangers team-mate Miller on Wednesday on a two-year deal with Meekings revealing the striker has already made his presence felt at Dens.
The 25-year-old former Inverness defender said: “It’s great for everyone involved in the club. The dressing-room has got a lift.
“Kenny’s done it for many years and it’s great to have a player of his calibre here. I’ve played against him before and he’s always in the right place at the right time.
“He is already imparting his knowledge to the other lads. It can only be a positive and it will give the whole club a big boost.
“He has high standards and he’s played at the highest level. Hopefully he can lead us along the way.”
Meekings added: “It does not feel good to not have any points from our first three games of the season. It’s sickening to keep talking about it.
“We’ve played some good stuff at times but we’ve lacked a bit of luck and we’ve given away chances. And when we’ve had chances we’ve not been punishing teams.
“We need to be more ruthless at each end of the pitch. We want to start keeping clean sheets and grabbing goals but bringing in Kenny Miller can only help at that end of the pitch.”
It has been a big summer of change in personnel at Dens with most of the signings new to the game in this country.
Dundee only fielded two Scots against St Johnstone last week but Englishman Meekings has played most of his career here and he knows what to expect, especially against a physical Motherwell team that drew with Rangers last weekend.
He added: “It’s a different culture completely. I’ve been here seven or eight years now and I know what it’s like and how teams keep going and keep going. Motherwell will do that this weekend.
“It’s not just the foreign boys, though. We’ve a good core of players but we need to stick together, make sure we cut out the mistakes and punish teams at the other end.
“Last year we saw what Motherwell were all about when they did phenomenally well in the cups.
“They are big physical boys and they will go to the very end, just like they did against Rangers. They deserved their point and we will have to be ready.”
Meekings also issued a plea for the home fans to stick by the team this afternoon.
He understands their frustrations after the poor start to the league campaign but insists it is now that their backing is more important than ever.
He said: “It’s massive. They are the 12th man. I know it’s been difficult. Fans pay their money and we have been coughing up goals, making mistakes, not being clinical enough, so it must be very frustrating.
“We understand that but we need to stick together. Hopefully with their help we can turn it round.”
Meanwhile, Meekings’ boss watched the Steelmen battle back to secure a last-gasp draw against Rangers last Sunday and McCann admitted it confirmed what he already knew – that his players are in for a tough, physical battle today.
McCann said: “Graham (assistant Gartland) and I went to the game and that’s what we all knew of Motherwell last season.
“So we know how to play against them.
“They always go right to the end. They brought on subs, replacing physicality with physicality up top.
“So we know it is going to be tough. The games last year were really close.
“We dominated a few of those games and got nothing from them.
“They will feel they deserved what they got.
“But it is a new season and I think we have added real genuine quality so I am looking forward to the game.”
