Kevin Thomson says he is determined to repay the faith shown in him by boss Paul Hartley.
The midfielder endured a torrid time last season when he was frozen out at Hibs by former Easter Road boss Terry Butcher.
He spent a long spell on the sidelines as the Hibees toiled and was helpless as they eventually went down to the Championship before being released.
Now, after grafting away at Dundee’s pre-season training camp in Budapest, he admits he is enjoying football once again and revealed he is really honoured to be the new club captain.
Thomson said: “The gaffer was a top player. Hopefully he sees me being like he was as a player and he has put a lot of trust in me making me club captain.
“They are trying to build a team around me so it is an exciting time for me and an exciting time for the club. To be part of that is a real honour.
“The hard thing for me at Hibs was that I was going through a spell where I wasn’t enjoying going into training.
“He (Butcher) made it really difficult for me but fortunately for me the way I have always been in my career, I just kept my head down and working away.
“When I spoke to Paul before the summer, I told him that I wanted to concentrate on trying my best for Hibs and if I did get an opportunity I felt it was only fair to put my future on hold to try to help the club.
“I then sat down with him at the end of the season.
“After the disappointment with how it ended at Hibs it was a pick-up and a boost to come to Dundee.
“Hopefully, I can be a major part of the team. It is something that has really kick-started me again.
He added: “I think everyone thought it was an unusual situation at Hibs. I never touted myself around as the best player at Hibs or anything like that.
“But a lot of people were saying how can the best player sit on the bench?
“Maybe if I had been 23 or 24 I would have been kicking doors in every day demanding that I wanted to play a bit more. But I am more experienced now and I never gave him any opportunity to say anything bad about me.
“I think that made it harder that I tried to do everything asked of me and I still didn’t get an opportunity. Like I have said a few times, I don’t want to get into a war of words with him.
“I just want to move on and I now have a manager who really believes in me and hopefully I can repay him.
“He has been brilliant with me as have every other manager I have worked with in my career apart from the last six months under Terry Butcher which was a sickener for me but hopefully there will be good times ahead again.
“It is a good group of boys and a great club so far so good.”
Like the rest of the Dundee players, Thomson was put through his paces in Budapest under the watchful eye of Hartley as well as the club’s fitness coach Tam Ritchie.
And the skipper admitted it was tough but enjoyable.
He said: “The gaffer gave me a bit of extra time off so I never started back to the 2nd. The rest of the boys have a wee bit of a head start on me so it has been tough.
“I have been kind of chasing my tail a wee bit but I am really enjoying it. It is good to get away with the boys and we are at a brilliant facility.
“There’s no better way than to do your running in the sun. It is the first time I have worked with Tam and he is really good. It is stuff that I have been used to throughout my career.
“I haven’t quite got to grips with his fast feet thing as I keep tripping over the cones but he is really refreshing and good to work with.
“It is a great group of boys and they are all working hard. The gaffer has told us we are here to work and it is what pre-season is all about.
“You need to run in this game and if you look at all the best players they are fit and strong. The game is getting faster every year. You have to be an athlete and look after yourself.
“I think the manager has played a wee bit of a golden card bringing us over here to a superb facility in great weather.
“I am pretty sure when we land back in Edinburgh with a solid week under our belts it will stand us in good stead.”