Jim Goodwin has revealed that Dundee United produced a video featuring magic European nights at Tannadice to aid their recruitment drive last summer.
And the United gaffer is adamant sealing continental qualification will make the Tangerines an even more attractive proposition during the upcoming transfer window.
The Terrors occupy fourth place in the Premiership, ahead of Aberdeen on goal difference and nine points clear of St Mirren in sixth.
Should either Celtic or the Dons win the Scottish Cup in May, that would confirm that fifth spot would be enough for a place in the Europa Conference League second qualifying round.
The absolute minimum United would earn from that would be £450,000, while the prestige of competing on the continent would be a huge draw as Goodwin enters a competitive marketplace in the coming months.
“We’re aware that fifth place could become European football, with the prize money that brings,” said Goodwin. “I think that would make a significant difference to the purse strings.
“Dundee United in Scotland is a big draw as it is, when they’re playing in the Scottish Premiership. People recognise the history of the club, the facilities and the fanbase that exists here.
“But competing in European football makes that task of signing good quality players a little bit easier because everybody wants to test themselves at the highest level.”
Video showcase
He added: “It (the possibility of European football) was a big part of our recruitment drive last summer.
“We put together a video presentation of some really good nights at Tannadice, and some of those European nights were involved. Some were from decades ago, but more recently the AZ Alkmaar game.
“I know that’s not one that people want to talk too much about, given the scoreline in the second leg (7-0), but the home leg was good! They’re the kind of ties you want to be involved in; test yourself against top opposition.”
A mouth-watering platform
Goodwin is keen to caution against presumption.
The job is far from done and, as he notes, “I would hate for people to view it as an unsuccessful season if we don’t qualify.”
However, he is desperate to see his current crop of players afforded the opportunity to shine on that platform, with the likes of Ross Graham, Vicko Sevelj, Will Ferry and Kristijan Trapanovski among the first-team players still developing.
“We’ve got a number of young players in the team,” he continued. “They’ve showcased their abilities in the Scottish Premiership, but the opportunity to go and do that in Europe can open a whole new avenue for these players.
“Not that we’re looking to try and sell anybody; but we’re realistic enough to know that these players have all got a value and ambitions of playing at the highest level.”
Tangerines’ progress
Sealing a European berth would also represent a personal landmark.
While he played for Ireland once at senior international level – and even won the U/16 European Championships as a youth – Goodwin has never experienced continental football as a player or coach.
However, the former Alloa, St Mirren and Aberdeen manager would prefer to focus on the strides made by the club – just two years since they crashed into the Championship, hamstrung by an eye-watering £6.9 million wage bill.
“The experience of facing European opponents, if it was to happen, would be something that I would relish,” continued Goodwin.
“But, as a club, it would be a huge achievement given where we’ve been and what we’ve achieved in such a short period of time.
“We are talking hypothetically about European football, but even the fact we’ve achieved top six this season is remarkable given what we’ve had to do behind the scenes to balance the books.
“We had a lot of big earners at the club when I first came in and we’ve managed to reduce costs – but not at the expense of us not being competitive on the pitch. I think that’s the biggest thing we can take away from what we’ve done up to now.
“We’re not going to think too far ahead right now. We’ll plan for sixth place and anything above that will be a bonus. But it’s all about how high we can go from here.”
Conversation