Cowdenbeath boss Jimmy Nicholl rated Paul Hartley so highly as a player that he signed him twice when he was boss at Millwall and then Raith Rovers.
Despite that, the Central Park gaffer admitted he thought it was “strange” when the former Scotland midfielder moved into management.
However, Nicholl has dramatically changed his opinion after Hartley took Alloa into the Championship with two back-to-back promotions, a feat that helped earn him his new position as boss at Dundee where he has just won his first two games in charge.
The Dark Blues roll up at Cowdenbeath and Nicholl admitted he is looking forward to meeting Hartley again.
He said: “I took Paul to Millwall in 1996 when he was a good young player.
“However, he matured into an even better one. He went about his game with a lot of intelligence and determination.
“There was also a bit of devilment in him but he was the quiet type and I thought it was a bit strange when he went into management.
“However, considering what he has done since taking the Alloa job and now at Dundee, it doesn’t seem so strange after all.”
Cowdenbeath are still sitting in the precarious play-off position in the Championship table after conceding a late goal last week at rock-bottom Morton.
Nicholl is fully aware of the difficulty of the task facing his players against an in-form Dundee side, however, the Blue Brazil showed back in December at Dens that they are capable of beating the league leaders.
He said: “I was delighted with a point last week. Initially I was disappointed that we couldn’t hold on but I can’t complain.
“We now have a difficult game against a Dundee side who have won their last two games and are at the top of the table.
“We did well against them the last time we played, with Jordan Morton coming off the bench to score what proved to be the winner.
“We were clinging on a bit at the end of that game but I have said to the players it is very rare to go away from home and be in control of the match for 90 minutes we certainly found that out when we were 4-0 up at Hamilton and finished the game 4-3.
“The lads’ confidence is high at the moment but we have not been good at home. So we have to find that consistency of performance at Central Park.
“We will probably be under the cosh at times against Dundee but we have shown already that we can beat them.”
Nicholl has no injury worries ahead of the game. Kyle Letheren admits Dundee will be out for revenge when at Cowdenbeath.
The last time the sides met back in December at Dens was a day to forget for the Dark Blues with the Fife outfit securing a shock 2-1 win that knocked Dundee off the top of the table just a week after they had clawed their way to the summit.
To add insult to injury, goalie Letheren and the rest of his team-mates were due to fly to Belfast for the club’s Christmas night out after the game, a trip that turned out to be a damp squib because of the damaging defeat.
Now the Dundee players are looking for payback as they attempt to cement their position back at the top of the Championship under Paul Hartley.
He said: “Cowdenbeath came here and fully deserved the win last time.
“We owe them one after that as they also spoilt our Christmas night out in Belfast. It put a real downer on our festive do so we are definitely due them one.
“We are in form so we will go there determined to get full points.
“It might not be a pretty game but we just have to battle through to secure another victory.”
Dundee will be without the injured Stephen O’Donnell, Steven Doris, Christian Nade, Craig Beattie and Ryan Conroy, while teenage striker Craig Wighton is a doubt through illness.
However, Nicky Riley and Iain Davidson are set to return to the squad.