Jim Goodwin reckons Allan Campbell has the quality to star for ANY team in the Premiership as he hailed Dundee United’s latest January capture.
And the United gaffer is hopeful the 26-year-old sees his long-term future at Tannadice.
Campbell became the Terrors’ third signing of the January transfer window on Thursday, inking a deal until the end of the season.
The Tangerines moved quickly after the player’s loan stint at Charlton Athletic was annulled and he was made a free agent following three campaigns with Luton Town.
And Goodwin happily admits that he would have tied the player to a longer deal.
“Allan is happy with the short-term deal,” said Goodwin. “Personally, if we knew where we were going to be and what the budgets will look like for next season, I would have put a longer contract in front of the boy.
“But that’s not a conversation Allan or his representatives wanted to have. It’s all about getting him back playing – because he is more than good enough to play for ANY team in Scotland, as far as I’m concerned.
“I hope he comes up here and helps us achieve what we set out to – and that he enjoys it so much that he wants to extend his time here.”
Goodwin: Campbell deal came ‘out of the blue’
Campbell’s signing follows the arrivals of Lewis Fiorini and Ruari Paton on loan from Stockport County and Port Vale respectively, with the Tangerines set to emerge from the January window considerably stronger than they entered it.
And Goodwin revealed that United beat some “good clubs” in Scotland to Campbell’s signature.
“At the beginning of the week, I was happy with the business that we had done, receiving good backing from the chairman and the rest of the board to bring in (Lewis) Fiorini and (Ruari) Paton,” he continued.
“Allan’s availability came out of the blue. There was interest from several clubs in Scotland because we are all aware of what he did at Motherwell, earning the right to go down and play with Luton.
“It was a no-brainer as far as I was concerned and we agreed, as a club, that if there was the opportunity to bring in a player of that quality then we had to do it.
“Some other good clubs were mentioned in the conversation, but we sold it to him in terms of the facilities we have here, the ambition of the club and the opportunity to play regular games.”
Campbell: I’m ready for pressure
Campbell, who won his sole Scotland cap to date against Armenia three years ago, turned out 160 times for Motherwell, earning a switch to Luton in 2021.
He played 47 games as Rob Edwards’ side earned a stunning promotion to the English Premier League in 2023. However, he did not feature in the top-flight and has spent the last two seasons on loan at Millwall and Charlton, respectively.
Campbell said: “I’ve had some great experiences down south, going head-to-head with some top quality players, and they’ve helped me improve physically and technically.
“Pressure is a privilege and if you ask any footballer, they want to be involved in high-pressure scenarios. I feel they bring the best out of me and I’m ready for them during an important time of the season.”
Odada interest
Campbell is likely to nudge Richard Odada further out of the picture and, as Courier Sport revealed, the Kenya international has been the subject of enquiries from clubs in Scotland, MLS, Belgium and Romania.
Goodwin added: “We have one or two members of the squad who are frustrated by the lack of game time and Richard is one of those. So, we’ll wait and see what transpires over the coming days.
“Also, the Scottish Championship window stays open that while longer (until the end of February). There’s a bit of interest from there and abroad in Richard, in particular.”
This weekend’s visit to Kilmarnock will come too soon for Ross Docherty and Craig Sibbald but both men are expected to be in contention to face Celtic on February 15, further strengthening Goodwin’s group.
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