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Jackie McNamara accuses ex-Dundee United chief Stephen Thompson of ‘re-writing history’ over failed John McGinn bid

The Tangerines were linked with a swoop for the then-St Mirren midfielder in the summer of 2015.

Jackie McNamara and Stephen Thompson in happier times. Image: SNS
Jackie McNamara and Stephen Thompson in happier times. Image: SNS

Jackie McNamara has accused ex-Dundee United chairman Stephen Thompson of “re-writing history” over the club’s failed, 2015 attempt to sign John McGinn.

Thompson discussed the Tangerines’ pursuit of the then-St Mirren star while appearing on BBC Radio Scotland’s Off the Ball in November 2024.

He placed the blame for United’s failure to sign the Aston Villa and Scotland star at McNamara’s door.

But the former Tannadice gaffer hit back on the Let Me Be Frank podcast, fronted by Celtic legend Frank McAvennie and journalist Simon Houston.

He said: “Different people were texting me while [Stephen Thompson] was doing [the interview] and I actually texted the guys who were interviewing him [saying he’s] re-writing history.

“I tried to get John McGinn! But Stephen’s Stephen.

“The problem was that John was at St Mirren and St Mirren were wanting one of our players to go in the opposite direction, but they were in the Championship.

“John was just over £100,000 and I wanted him, but it [didn’t collapse] through me.”

McGinn joined Hibs after his proposed move to United fell through. Image: SNS

Thompson claimed on radio that McNamara instructed him not to up United’s bid for McGinn from £60,000.

But the former boss gave short shrift to his old employer – and claimed Thompson was responsible for making Fulham loanee Adam Taggert amongst the highest paid players at United during the same transfer window.

McNamara said: “Stephen signed [Taggart] behind my back on the last day of the window, not long before he sacked me. He was one of the highest paid at the club.

“Stephen’s come in the next morning, like: ‘You’re not happy?’ I said: ‘No, I’m not happy. I’ve not seen him. It’s my reputation.’

“He’s said: ‘You don’t understand. We don’t need to keep doing what we’ve been doing. The club’s changed since you’ve come in.

“I said: ‘I know. We’ve changed it!’

“They had a lot of problems, a lot of debt, which is why they took us there, to get rid of the debt, bring young players through and do it that way.

“But it wasn’t about the money – it was about the right thing to do for your football club.”

Nadir Ciftci celebrates after scoring United’s winning goal against Rangers in the 2014 Scottish Cup semi-final. Image: SNS

After moulding a young team peppered with stars-in-waiting like Andy Robertson, Ryan Gauld, Stuart Armstrong and Gary Mackay Steven, McNamara was ultimately sacked after results took a turn for the worse.

Looking back, the scale of the task he was handed looms large.

And he admits to lingering frustration over how things ended at United.

McNamara continued: “In the two-and-a-half years there, we had three teams to change.

“I went there in January and lost Jon Daly, who went to Rangers for nothing, Johnny Russell went to Derby for £750,000 – that’s 33 goals out of my team – Barry Douglas went away to Poland.

“Peter Houston left the club because he couldn’t deal with the cuts, he said. I had to take the budget down half-a-million in six months.

I took in Nadir Ciftci on trial through big Pierre [Van Hooijdonk]. He said: ‘Have a look at him, he’s trouble.’

“He was phenomenal but he had a lot of issues. I had to treat him like he was my son, get that respect.

“I thought I could do it – three teams in a short space [of time].

“We weren’t bad at the start of the [last] season. But I think it was nine games in he sacked me.

“We lost away at St Johnstone and he sacked me in the stadium after the game.

“After everything that we’d done and changed in that two-and-a-half years, it just scunners you with the job.”

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