James Horsfield knows exactly what it takes to cope with the pressure of winning a relegation battle having done so with NAC Breda in Holland in front of 20,000 fervent fans.
Now, he is determined to do the same at Dens and help Dundee secure their top-flight safety.
The 23-year-old right-back joined the Dark Blues on loan from Scunthorpe United until the end of the season on Thursday.
Jim McIntyre’s men had secured a priceless three points against Hearts at Tynecastle 24 hours earlier to lift themselves off the foot of the table.
However, there is still a long way to go before they are safe and Horsfield is determined to help them achieve that – starting today against Motherwell at Dens.
He said: “I was involved in a relegation battle at NAC Breda in Holland.
“We were in and around the bottom of the table with a few games to go.
“But we came out of it and made sure we were safe.
“It didn’t quite go down to the final few days but we were hovering around the danger area for a long time.
“So that’s something I can bring here, being able to deal with a lot of pressure.
“There was a need to get results when the pressure was really on. That’s a big part of football.
“There was loads of pressure with 20,000 fans at every game who were expecting results.
“The football club literally means everything to them.
“We’ve got to approach every single game here switched on and do absolutely everything to get the three points.”
The full-back becomes the second Scunthorpe player to join Dundee on loan in this window following hot on the heels of winger Andy Dales who made his first start for the club in midweek.
And Horsfield revealed his team-mate helped convince him it would be a great move for him.
He added: “I’m buzzing to be here. The plan is to come up here and get some game time between now and the end of the season.
“I had a friendly against Middlesbrough on Tuesday and my agent called me before the game and said Dundee were interested.
“I think they sent a scout down to watch the game and I played well, scoring as well as having an assist.
“I drove up here the other night and it was very snowy – it was like driving through Everest!
“I’ll bring a lot of hard work and technically I think I’m quite good on the ball so hopefully I can chip in with a few goals as well.
“I spoke to Andy before signing. He said Dundee were a great club and that the gaffer was a good guy.
“So it was a no-brainer. I also spoke to (Scunthorpe assistant manager) Kenny Black and he stressed the importance of playing every week.
“At present at Scunthorpe it wasn’t quite happening. I had played 15 games but a lot were coming off the bench and trying to make an impact.
“So I want to be starting regularly instead and playing 90 minutes.”
Horsfield came up through the ranks at Manchester City with Brandon Barker who spent time out on loan at Hibs last season.
And watching him play for the Easter Road side has helped Horsfield realise what to expect as he gears up for his first taste of Scottish football.
He added: “This is a great opportunity to play against some massive teams.
“Hopefully I can help the team get out of the situation we’re in at the moment.
“I had seen bits of Scottish Football on television in the past, and the standard is decent.
“One of my good friends, Brandon Barker, was at Hibs last season.
“So I watched a few of his games and was impressed.
“You look at Rangers and Celtic who both have top players which filters down.
“So I know this is a tough league and I’ll need to be switched on from the start.”
