Gavin Rae has revealed this season is likely to be his last in football.
And the Dundee legend can think of no better way to sign off his career than by helping the Dark Blues back to the Scottish Premiership.
The 36-year-old has enjoyed a highly successful career with Rangers, Cardiff City, Aberdeen and Scotland, as well as three spells at Dens Park.
There have been plenty of important games along the way, but today’s top-of-the-table clash with Hamilton Accies will rank alongside the biggest.
Rae said: “This could be the swansong for me, I’ve not 10% decided yet. I’ll get to the end of the season and see what happens, but it’s certainly looking that way at the moment.
“I’d like to deliver the league. If I’m going to finish up then it would be great to go out that way.
“I’ve had moving to Australia in the background for a while. That will definitely happen but it’s just a matter of when.
“It’s a major decision and I’ll obviously miss it because I still love training and playing. I feel fit enough but I only have a contract to the summer.
“If this is the season I finish then there would be no better way to go out than winning a title. I’ll get to the summer, look at everything and have a real think about it.”
It was Rae’s time at Ibrox that gave him the best insight into coping with the demands of a title run-in, such as the one Dundee are now involved in.
Paul Hartley’s men and Accies are only separated by goal difference, while Falkirk are still just about in touch six points back.
Rae said: “We have five huge games to go and you’d rather be involved in games like this than ones at the other end of a league.
“So you just have to enjoy it, play your football and see where it takes you.
“The team who wins the league will probably be the one who handles it the best. There is pressure on everyone and the past has shown me coping with that pressure is what wins you the league.
“I was at Rangers when the club won titles. Unfortunately, I was injured for one of them and I didn’t play much in another. But I was around the place and saw how everyone handled the pressure and kept their cool.
“We have experienced players here at Dundee and that might be a big factor for us. But I’m sure Hamilton will be looking at it with the view that young players are usually fearless, so they won’t get caught up in it because of that.”
Dundee’s 3-0 defeat of Hamilton in November when the sides last met at New Douglas Park gives the visitors’ confidence, but it will also act as inspiration for the hosts, Rae has warned.
“We got a great result down at Hamilton last time and hopefully that can be a good sign for us,” he said. “But Hamilton will have that in their minds and will be determined not to let it happen again.
“Our lads know we can do it, we know we’re capable of getting a result down there because we’ve done it once before. And hopefully we’re able to do it again this weekend.”
Hartley expects all his players who were struggling with minor injuries this week to be available.