Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin has confirmed that summer signing Dylan Tait will be the club's vice captain for the upcoming season. The former Falkirk midfielder will deputise for skipper Ross Graham when the captain is not in the starting lineup.
Tait takes over from Will Ferry
Tait inherits the role from Will Ferry, who has attracted a seven-figure bid from Czechia and interest from Blackburn Rovers and Celtic. Goodwin explained that the appointment is part of a broader strategy to foster leadership within the squad.
“We want to have a number of leaders in the group,” Goodwin said. “Ross Graham is our club captain. If he is in the starting XI he will lead the team out. Outwith that, I don’t think there needs to be any big announcement regarding it. If Dylan is playing and Ross is not then he will wear the armband. If Dylan is not playing then I have a whole host of other players who are more than capable of leading the team out.”
Goodwin's long-term admiration for Tait
Goodwin revealed he had been tracking Tait since his time at Hibernian and had tried to sign him for Alloa Athletic years ago. “Dylan has had a terrific few years at Falkirk,” Goodwin said. “He is a player I have known since way back in his Hibs’ days. I spoke to Hibs about trying to take him to Alloa many years ago. He ended up going to Raith and did very well there. He was one we identified very early on last season.”
The United boss praised Tait's impact in training and his personality. “The impact he has made from day one in training has been excellent. I knew how good a player he was. Sometimes you don’t realise how good they are until you are working with them day in and day out because you only see them for 90 minutes on a Saturday. His personality and character, he knows when to get the head down and set the standards and he is also very well liked within the dressing room because of his bubbly spirit. He has been a terrific signing and adds that bit of tenacity and aggression in the middle of the park.”
Agyei backed to regain form
Goodwin also addressed midfielder Emmanuel Agyei's fitness, noting he had a shortened summer break due to involvement with Ghana ahead of the World Cup. “He has had a little bit less of a break to what most of the rest of group had. He was away with Ghana prior to the World Cup. He came very close to getting into their World Cup squad. There is just a little bit of match sharpness amongst a lot of players in the group. That is all it boils down to. It is getting back into it and getting that sharpness back. I have absolutely no concerns about the lad. He is only 21 and was one of the outstanding players in the league in the second half of last season. So much so he got into that Ghana pre-World Cup group. There are no issues there. He is going to be a really important player for us in this campaign.”
