Sean Dillon can understand if Dundee United supporters are disappointed that January wasn’t a busier transfer window for the Tangerines.
But the club captain believes manager Ray McKinnon will be keeping a keen eye on the free agent market in the weeks ahead.
After pursuing the likes of Gary Mackay-Steven, Nadir Ciftci and Conor Sammon to no avail, United’s business concluded late on deadline day with the loan capture of Barnet winger Alex Nicholls, while striker Thomas Mikkelsen had joined at the start of the window.
“Let’s roll back a few weeks,” said Dillon, whose March 21 testimonial match against Hearts was announced yesterday.
“If the transfer window had closed on Christmas day when we were top of the league you would have looked at it differently.
“We’ve brought in a couple and a couple have moved on.
“I’ve heard a lot of good things about Alex. I don’t know him personally but hopefully he will give us something different.
“It’s not as if every player is contracted. I’m sure the manager will continue to look at free agents and look to improve his squad.
“I’ve no doubt our fans will be disappointed that we haven’t brought in more people but it has to be the right signings and you need to make sure you get it spot on.
“I would imagine it’s a case that they didn’t want to press the button on a player they weren’t 100% sure of, but you’ll have to ask the gaffer about that.”
Dillon hasn’t played since the Hogmanay defeat at Dumbarton but the Irishman still retains a determination to force his way back into Ray McKinnon’s starting XI.
“One hundred per cent,” he said. “I’m still desperate to play.
“People are constantly asking me about the coaching side of things. Don’t get me wrong, I love my coaching. I’ve been lucky to be involved with the 20s and now the 17s. But I want to play for as long as I possibly can.
“Footballers want to play football. It’s frustrating obviously but that’s the way it’s been.
“I’m desperate to get back in the team. You want to be part of it.
“For me it’s a case of making sure I’m ready to go on a Monday morning regardless of whether I’ve played or I haven’t played.
“Having my own standards is important.
“I have to make sure I keep myself ready so that when the chance comes I’m good to go.
“I’m not one for banging down doors.”
Now that Hibs have pulled eight points clear of United, many have come to the conclusion that their only route back to the top flight is through the play-offs. Not Dillon.
“There are certainly more than two or three teams who will be eyeing up the play-offs,” he said.
“But we need to make sure we continue to look upwards. Our attitude has to be that we’re chasing Hibs. You need to know what’s about you, of course, but you have to look up the way.
“Chasing down Hibs is the most important thing for us at the moment.
“At the start of the season I definitely believed we could go and win the league. After the first few weeks you hear more doubters. Then, all of a sudden we ended up top of the league and it turned. Now, in the last few weeks, it has turned again.
“I hope at the end of May we’re on top when it all stops.”
In Dillon’s 10 years at United this has been his only taste of lower league football. But it hasn’t been a struggle for him to get his head around life outside the Premiership.
“I’m part of the reason that we’re there,” he said. “I played in the season that we got relegated which is obviously very, very disappointing.
“But you have to get on with it. We’re not the only club that feels we belong in the Premiership. We need to prove that we’re good enough and the only way of doing that is to get promoted.
“It’s been different. A new adventure if you like. Some of us are visiting grounds for the first time. It will be the same for some of our younger fans. But it’s still a game of football and the same principles apply.”
