New Dundee boss Barry Smith has publicly thanked Brechin City for releasing him from his playing contract to take up the Dens Park post.
The Dark Blues youth team coach turned first-team manager had been supplementing his income and football involvement by turning out for City in the second division.
And he needed the agreement of the Angus outfit to accept administrator Bryan Jackson’s offer of the Dundee manager’s job for the foreseeable future.
That was duly forthcoming, however, for which Smith is grateful.
“I owe Brechin a big thank you,” he said.
“They’ve been good enough to let me go without asking for anything.
“I really appreciate that.
“I had a good couple of years up there and it was great that the committee and management team of Jim Weir and Kevin McGowne didn’t stand in my way.”
His departure from City opens up the possibility the Dark Blues hall of famer could play again for the club.
But he made clear that would only happen if he were short-handed.
“I can’t actually play for anyone other than Brechin until January,” he said.
“But once we get to the window I’ll look at how things are going here then make a decision.
“Whether I pull on the boots again for Dundee I really don’t know. So much has happened in so short a time that’s not something I’ve had time to think about.
“But I’ve got a lot to do on the managerial side so as long as I am able to field a team then there wouldn’t be a need for me to play.”
As things stand Smith has 14 first team men at his disposal. Thereafter he must fill the gaps with members of the youth team he was formerly in charge of.
“If needs must then the younger ones will be called upon,” he said.
“And my knowledge of these lads means I’m well placed to decide who could cope with being thrown in now and who might find it tough.”
A more immediate priority for Smith is bringing a semblance of order to the football operation after the upheaval of the last fortnight.
“After the past couple of weeks we need to get back to something resembling normality,” he said.
“We need to get into a training routine again. Spending the week preparing for the game at the end of it.
“We’ve still got a good group of boys here and people who’ll pitch in as needs be.
“Although Rab Douglas and Matt Lockwood are my assistants, I’m not going to be on my own in the dugout.
“Rab Geddes has been different class since all this arose and I’ve also got Gordon Wallace to help out if I need him so I have people to bounce ideas off of during the match.
“The situation here demands that everyone mucks in.
“I was still taking the under 19s on Sunday. I don’t know if that will still be happening on a regular basis but for now we all have to stick together and do whatever needs doing.”