Kevin Holt insists he did not threaten to be unavailable for selection if Dundee United blocked his move to Derry City.
Holt completed his switch to the League of Ireland side over the weekend, after missing the Tangerines’ clash with Motherwell.
In the aftermath, United released a statement claiming that: “(Holt) and his representatives made it clear that he may be unavailable for selection between now and the end of the 2024/25 campaign should the transfer not be agreed”
But after being officially unveiled as a Derry City player, Holt insisted he had made no such threat.
He told the Derry Journal: “I’m disappointed in (United’s) statement, to be honest, because I have never, ever turned down playing a game of football.
“I’ve never expressed to the manager I would never play for the club. Those words never came out of my mouth.
Holt in Red & White 🔴⚪
Welcome to Derry, Kevin! pic.twitter.com/xlu8OA1mqK— Derry City FC (@derrycityfc) February 24, 2025
“I had a conversation when the move came about. The offer got put in and I made it clear it was something I wanted to pursue, something I wanted to take.
“The two-year contract was on the table. Good security for me and my family.
“We had multiple conversations and at the start I got on great with the manager (Jim Goodwin).
“We had loads of conversations beforehand, and after the move was done, and I’ve nothing bad to say about him at all.
“”He’s been brilliant for me throughout my whole time at Dundee United.
“All the boys were brilliant. They all knew about the situation as it was going on.
“Obviously not playing in the Motherwell game, I wasn’t even there because it (the Derry deal) was all kind of getting done.
“The boys were texting me asking me what was going on and they’ve all been brilliant.
“I’m just disappointed that they (Dundee Utd) would put that out, as if I almost held them at ransom when that was never the case.
“There was never a comment from myself that I would refuse to play in those games.
“I’ve never refused to play a game of football for a club I’m signed for.”
Holt will beef up Derry City’s rearguard for the coming season and he is looking forward to sampling football across the Irish Sea.
Holt said: “I had a good 20 months or whatever it was I was at Dundee United and the club was good to me. It’s a great group of boys and I got on really well with the manager and all the staff.
“So it was a hard decision to leave but when I spoke with the manager here and a few players at the club that I knew and with the direction the club is going and stuff like that, I just decided to get over and try something new and I’m really looking forward to it.”
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