The brief Dundee career of Stephen Hughes is over after the midfielder returned to East Fife.
It is technically a loan deal until the end of the season, but that is when Hughes’ contract at Dens comes to an end.
The former Rangers man only played once for the Dark Blues, the defeat at Falkirk under previous manager John Brown.
He was never selected by new boss Paul Hartley. It is a second stint at Methil for Hughes, as he played nine times for the Fife side earlier this term.
Meanwhile, Hartley has thrown down the gauntlet to Christian Nade, challenging the striker to prove he is worth a place in his starting line-up.
Nade has been working hard on his fitness since joining the Dark Blues and impressed when he came off the bench at Cowdenbeath on Saturday.
Hartley admitted he was pleased with the Frenchman’s contribution but he is still demanding more from the player.
The manager said: “Nade hasn’t played for a while so he is still finding his feet in terms of fitness. Our intensity in training has really picked up so he is getting sharper.
“I thought he did well on Saturday. His hold-up play got us up the park and he linked well. He has good ability but he still needs match sharpness.
“It is up to him to prove he deserves to be in the starting line-up.”