Dundee

Dundee hope to soon break ground on their new 12,500-seater stadium based in the city's Camperdown. (Herald - subscription required), external

Saturday's Scottish gossip

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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In all probability life after Luke Graham is almost reality for the Dundee fans.

After months and months of intense speculation over the sought after central defender's future, it looks likely that the 22-year-old will depart Dens Park over the summer.

It is not all doom and gloom for the Dark Blues, who will be substantially remunerated should one of Graham's potential suitors make their move and meet their asking price.

How they reinvest that money could be key in determining how they get on next season.

Head coach Steven Pressley can rightly take a feeling of satisfaction in to the close season having steered his team to an eighth place Premiership finish – they were 10th the campaign before.

A rock at the back, Graham has been an integral part of the team's development.

How they replace him, if he goes, looks like a huge decision.

Since Pressley's arrival last summer, he has proved to be a shrewd operator in the transfer market having made a number of clever and effective signings, and he may need to be again – Graham will be big boots to fill.

But perhaps the answers are already in the building at Dens Park – they certainly do have a few young centre halves on their books who possibly could fill the space.

Twenty-four-year-old Ryan Astley – who recently signed a new deal - has already established himself in the starting line-up.

Billy Koumetio, 23, and Aaron Donnelly, 22, are both players Pressley will be hoping could also step in and do a solid job in the heart of the Dundee defence.

Whether the solution is on their doorstep, or whether it lies elsewhere – it will be intriguing to see what life after Luke Graham looks like.

Luke Graham, the 22-year-old centre-half for whom Dundee rejected a £1.5m January bid from Portsmouth, says he does not know yet if he has made his last appearance for the Scottish Premiership club. (The Courier), external

Dundee centre-half Luke Graham, who is being looked at by Rangers and is reportedly interesting English clubs, says constant speculation about his future has been "non-stop" and tiring. (Glasgow Times), external

Read Thursday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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Dundee defender Luke Graham has been included in Scotland's World Cup pre-camp training squad.

The 22-year-old has featured for Scotland Under-21s but is yet to make his senior international debut.

Graham, who missed out on a place in Steve Clarke's 26-man squad for the finals, will train with Scotland before the squad depart for the United States.

Clarke's side host Curacao in a farewell friendly at Hampden on 30 May then head to the US where they will play Bolivia in their final pre-World Cup friendly.

Graham has had an impressive domestic season with Steven Pressley's side. The centre-back has made 40 appearances and scored three goals as Dundee finished eighth.

Graham's form has led to links with a number of clubs, including Rangers, over a move away from Dens Park this summer.

Head coach Steven Pressley admits he considered quitting Dundee during "dark" times this season. (The Courier), external

Read the rest of Wednesday's Scottish gossip.

Jonathan Sutherland
Sportscene presenter

Raphael Sallinger - Hibernian

On the losing side, but made five saves.

Tom Sparrow - Motherwell

A midfielder by trade, Sparrow has never let Motherwell down at right back.

Stephen Welsh - Motherwell

On loan from Celtic, Welsh has been a real leader at Fir Park. Played with heart, soul and real quality. Had an effort ruled out for a foul.

Ryan Astley - Dundee

Scored the winning goal to send the Dundee faithful home happy.

Tuur Rommens - Rangers

Won all his duels against Falkirk and looks a good signing by Danny Rohl.

Findlay Curtis - Kilmarnock

Surely has to be in the World Cup squad. Made the previous squad, and since then his form has been electric.

Callum McGregor - Celtic

Much has been made - rightly so - of the impact made by the return of Martin O'Neill in steering Celtic to another title. But in his own way, the captain at the centre of this team has quietly done the steering on the pitch. Since the Dundee United game there has been much more of a steely resolve and intensity when required from Celtic, and McGregor has embodied that mission in the post-split games. His teammates voiced their praise for his leadership on and off the pitch throughout what's been a tumultuous campaign that saw Brendan Rodgers and then Wilfried Nancy depart. Throughout it all McGregor has been the constant. The emotion poured out of him at the end said it all.

Lukas Fadinger - Motherwell

A steely presence all season for Motherwell. His deflected goal was the difference against Hibs.

Nicky Clescenco - Kilmarnock

Took his goal well. Looked lively and creative in the rout of Livingston.

Joe Hugill - Kilmarnock

Two goals against Livingston upped his tally to eight in his past 12 games for Kilmarnock. Has thrived under Neil McCann.

Youssef Chermiti- Rangers

Looked like an absolute world-beater against Falkirk. His goals were superb. Has had his critics, but 15 Premiership goals is a respectable tally. His challenge next season will be to up that tally, and be more consistent.

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Image source, SNS

Dundee midfielder Drey Wright believes their eighth place Premiership finish can be a strong platform for them to launch a top six push next term.

The Dark Blues – who were 10th last season – leapfrogged Aberdeen in the table with a 3-2 home win over the Dons on Sunday.

Speaking at the end of a "rollercoaster" campaign , Wright said: "Throughout the whole season we have come on so much in a lot of different aspects, in and out of possession.

"It has not been easy, it has come down to a lot of hard work, the manager has been clear on that from day one.

"From the outside noise we probably never had any chance of eighth but we always believed. You don't aim to finish eighth in the table but it was the best that we could at the end of the day and we managed to get the job done.

"It is a platform to hopefully build on that next season, I think the majority of clubs in the league are just trying to nick a top six place so that gives us a good platform to go and do that next year."

Wright also hailed the job done by head coach Steven Pressley, who has gone on to win over the doubters among the Dundee support, many of whom were sceptical of his appointment last summer.

"I won't be the only one to say they have really enjoyed working under him this year, his message has always been very clear, whether that is to do with tactics or other things," Wright said

"It has been hard work, a lot of time on the training ground getting it to where he thinks we will be effective in certain areas and I think throughout the season we have developed different ways of playing and defending against teams and you can see that hard work paying off.

"If it wasn't showing on the pitch then there is an issue but I have enjoyed every second of it this year working for him and am looking forward to next year."

We asked for your thoughts after Dundee finished their Premiership campaign with a 3-2 win over Aberdeen on Sunday.

Here's what some of you had to say:

Niall: Steven Pressley got the team organised after a shaky start to the season 8th place finish is fine - need to strengthen the squad and push on next season.

Martin: It's was all doom and gloom after the first game of the season, most will agree. Credit to Pressley, he had a plan which he knew would take time, knowing it and he would be unpopular with a lot of supporters. He gradually turned things round and is finally receiving the recognition he deserves. The team have always played for him and that is something money can't buy. Yes we want to finish higher up the league but you can't do that without firstly laying foundations and squad longevity, which Pressley is doing. I like him and trust him to make good decisions for the club, players and supporters. Well done everybody, keep it going.

Jefcal: Well done everyone. Do not think we deserved to be behind at half time but put on a good second half. Last half hour we were good. The wind helped. Interesting to see how we line up next season.

Jim: I was one of the Pressley doubters when he got the job. He has changed my mind over the course of the season. At times we have played some great football and should have had a few more points to show for it. We've had some great results that we've waited a long time for. We have also shown we have the fight to get back into games like today. I'm looking forward to next season with more optimism than I have in a long time.

Ryan Astley crashed in a 90th-minute winner for Dundee against Aberdeen to take them above their visitors to an eighth-place finish in the Scottish Premiership.

What did you make of Dundee's performance and season as a whole?

MATCH REPORT

HAVE YOUR SAY

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Dundee manager Steven Pressley: "I'm delighted. I was relatively satisfied with a number of aspects of our performance in the first half.

"I just didn't think we had that aggression in defending our own box, which has been a feature of our performances this year. And to lose a goal from a setplay where we've been strong. I was disappointed with that aspect.

"In typical fashion the players responded how they have all season to adversity by coming back to win the game.

"Scoring a late goal, with the player that scored it, and the team as well, typified our season.

"I'm really proud of the group. To finish eighth in a hugely challenging season is a decent achievement. We want to keep improving but it's given us a platform to continue to grow."

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Dundee head coach Steven Pressley could give fringe players a game after making eight changes in midweek. Goalkeeper Jon McCracken is out with an ankle injury.

Aberdeen will be without Emmanuel Gyamfi, Stuart Armstrong, Dimitar Mitov, Marko Lazetic, Alexander Jense, Kristers Tobers and Nick Suman.

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Steven Pressley will again give fringe players a chance in Dundee's final game of the season - but is determined to beat Aberdeen and jump a place to eighth.

The Dark Blues boss made eight changes for the midweek defeat by Kilmarnock as well as handing 16-year-old Charley Oosenbrugh a debut off the bench.

Pressley told DeeTV: "This has been very much a group effort in terms of preserving our Premiership status and for many of these players, they probably felt they had been deserving of more minutes.

"Their attitude, the way they have supported the rest of the group, has been exemplary. As a result of that I wanted to give them the opportunity. So, the same again on Sunday.

"But we also realise with the Aberdeen result that if we were to win on Sunday we could finish eighth, which is a good achievement. So we will certainly be going into that game wanting to win."

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• Aberdeen have lost 19 of their 37 league games this season (W11 D7); they last suffered 20+ defeats in a single league campaign in 2010-11 (22).

• After their 3-2 win in February, Dundee could win back-to-back league meetings with Aberdeen for the first time since August 1999; this is their 53rd league game against the Dons since.

• Aberdeen have won nine of their past 12 league visits to Dundee (D1 L2), including the latest three in a row.

• Dundee have only won their final match in one of their past 10 top-flight seasons (D2 L7), although that did come last term, beating St Johnstone 2-0.

• Aberdeen haven't won their final league match in any of the past five seasons (D2 L3). They lost 2-1 to Dundee United on matchday 38 last term, last losing their final game in successive campaigns from 2013-14 to 2015-16 (three in a row).

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Defender Ryan Astley is "excited for the future" after signing a new deal to stay at Dundee until 2029.

The 24-year-old Welshman, who was out of contract this summer, has made 76 appearances since joining from Everton in January 2024.

"We're delighted Ryan has committed his future. Since arriving at the club he has shown real professionalism, quality and character both on and off the pitch," said manager Steven Pressley.

"Securing his future until 2029 is an important step as we continue building a strong squad for the future."

Astley is a key figure in Pressley's backline this season, scoring three times in 40 outings.

"From the moment I arrived, I've felt at home at the club and I'm really enjoying my football here," he said.

"The support from the fans has been incredible and there's a real belief within the squad about where we can go. I'm excited for the future and proud to commit myself to the club until 2029."

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Steven Pressley has been quite open over the course of the season about how difficult it has been on a number of fronts at Dundee.

He has spoken about how his young squad have had to deal with a lot and come of age during the campaign but there is no doubt it has been tough for Pressley himself.

He was behind the eight ball from the start. He had to spend much of his tenure trying to win over the large proportion of the support who were sceptical about his appointment. He has certainly done that while preserving the club's Premiership status.

When predecessor Tony Docherty was sacked around this time last year it was after the team finished 10th on 41 points.

Dundee said they had taken the decision because the results did not meet the standards expected by the club. This time round they are ninth with one game to play and currently sit on 39 points.

Every season is different, and while that brief look at the stats may suggest it has been a case of more of the same, there has been undoubted improvement over the course of the campaign.

Pressley had to completely rebuild the squad and has gone on to deliver a team that has produced an easy-on-the-eye brand of football.

While Premiership survival is always the initial objective, Dundee's ultimate aim has to be to become a team that can regularly challenge for, and get into, the top six – something achieved by Docherty in his first season in charge.

While there is every chance some key players, like Luke Graham, may move on to pastures new in the summer, a good nucleus of the squad should remain.

That, allied to some further smart recruitment under Pressley, would suggest there is plenty to be optimistic about going forward.

Sportscene's Steven Thompson and Marvin Bartley dissect Charlie Reilly's sublime stirke - which was credited as a Tom Lowery own goal - in Dundee's defeat at Kilmarnock.

Dundee fans, we asked for your views after Tuesday night's 3-1 defeat to Kilmarnock.

Here's what some of you said:

Paul: Once again a lacklustre performance by Dundee. Tony Docherty was sacked for finishing 10th so how is this any better? They should spend some money on players, stop talking about a new stadium and get a better manager in.

Gary: It seemed like too many changes and not enough creativity brought into the team. It was back to the days of nothing much happening up front. I'm gutted for Charlie Reilly that they took that goal off him though. Hopefully we can go for a win on Sunday to finish ninth. A worthy experiment, if poorly executed.

Darren: I think it was unprofessional of us to field a weakened team. I understand we are safe and if it was a dead rubber game, great, but it wasn't for both Killie and St Mirren with players' livelihoods on the line. It just doesn't feel right.

Danny: I'm all for making a few changes in the last couple of matches but this was just too many on the night and may have cost us a couple of places in the league table. Steven Pressley now needs to play our best possible side against Aberdeen.

Brian: Poor team selection by Pressley, yes we were safe however the fans that paid for tickets and transport to the game deserved better.

Watch all the highlights as Kilmarnock secured their Scottish Premiership status with a 3-1 victory over Dundee. Available to UK users only.

Kilmarnock will play Scottish Premiership football next season after a late double from Joe Hugill sealed victory over Dundee and consigned St Mirren to the relegation play-off.

Have your say on the game

Read our match report

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Dundee boss Steven Pressley: "I asked for a certain type of performance. I thought we got great intensity, great energy in the team and a really good attitude towards the game against a fully-charged Kilmarnock.

"At 1-1 we hoped we could go on and win the game, but credit to Kilmarnock.

"There was a lot to take from the game. We played a number of players who will feel they have deserved more minutes and understandably so.

"I thought Fin Robertson was exceptional, Callum Jones was exceptional. I was really pleased to see them perform in the manner they did."

Ethan Hampton
Fan writer

Back-to-back wins have confirmed Dundee will be playing Premiership football again next season.

It is mission accomplished for Steven Pressley and Dundee after a staggering turnaround.

We began the campaign behind schedule amid a complete rebuild of the football department, and everyone at the club deserves credit for playing their part in preserving our top-flight status.

Virtually every pundit, influencer and podcaster on the outside predicted relegation - and many expected it comfortably.

Now there are foundations in place for this side to progress next season. Dundee possess a promising young core and, realistically, many supporters have already resigned themselves to the likelihood of Luke Graham being sold this summer.

If that proves to be the case, the hope will be that some of the profit is reinvested into the first team.

Ryan Astley and Billy Koumetio could well be the ready-made partnership at the heart of defence next season. Both have been consistently impressive and appear to carry the trust of Pressley and the support.

Kilmarnock and Aberdeen come next and, for once, Dees can watch on without the usual stress and anxiety.

This comfortable feeling is almost alien given how often our ambitions tend to go right down to the wire. The change of pace is a very welcome one.

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• Kilmarnock are unbeaten in eight Scottish Premiership home games against Dundee (W3 D5) since a 1-0 defeat in May 2017.

• Dundee have only lost one of their past six league games against Kilmarnock (W2 D3), a 3-2 defeat in May 2025.

• Kilmarnock have lost their final home league game in both of the past two seasons, going down 5-0 to Celtic in 2023-24 and 1-0 to Hearts last term. Killie were unbeaten in five such games before this (W3 D2 – including curtailed 2019-20 season).

• Dundee have won their final away game in three of their past five Scottish Premiership seasons (L2), beating St Johnstone 2-0 last year.

• Kilmarnock have won five of their past seven home league games (D1 L1), more than their previous 17 beforehand (W4 D4 L9).