How Scottish football's new hot property emerged and why Hibs must be wary of Celtic interest
McCowan is one of the league’s stand-out players right now
An early season meeting between Dundee and Hearts, with the teams meeting at Dens Park this evening, is nicely timed to illustrate the development of wanted man Luke McCowan.
The current subject of so much transfer speculation was not even meant to be in the first team in the corresponding fixture last season. That he did take his place in the starting line-up provided one of the first ‘only Scottish football’ moments of the previous campaign.
An administrative mix-up saw McCowan inserted in the starting XI instead of Josh Mulligan when the teams were submitted. Dundee sought to amend this but were told it was too late unless Hearts agreed. The Tynecastle side's management stood firm, as was their right, reasoning that Dundee could be making the late change for a tactical reason having already seen the Hearts XI.
So McCowan stayed in. Almost inevitably, he duly scored the winner with a cute finish over the stranded Zander Clark after Hearts botched a free kick. He hasn't looked back.
Few opponents would decline the opportunity to have McCowan excised from the team sheet now. Indeed, nearly everyone would want him in their own starting XI, including, perhaps, Celtic.
In newspaper parlance, the midfield playmaker-goalscorer is currently one of Scottish football’s hottest properties. And the advice to Dundee fans might be enjoy him while you can. Dens Park manager Tony Docherty didn’t disagree when this was put to him on Thursday at a press briefing in Glasgow ahead of today’s latest clash.
“I think so,” he said. “But until I hear anything different…..” Dundee have only three games until the end of the transfer window. It's typical that the last of these should be against Hibs at Easter Road, when all eyes will be on McCowan whoever he is playing for.
Hibs are already reported to have had two bids rebuffed. Bolton Wanderers are monitoring the situation and even Celtic, who face losing Matt O’Riley, have been credited with interest. The Dens Park club are said to be looking for a seven-figure sum for a player in the last year of his contract.
If McCowan does leave Dundee, and it looks increasingly like he will, fans will wish him well. After all, he was picked up for nothing from Ayr United on freedom of contract three years ago. It was reported he had opted to join Dundee over Dundee United, another reason why supporters were so well disposed towards him from the start.
Crucial goals in crucial games have only strengthened this connection, with the latest being a penalty equaliser against Dundee United last weekend. Other memorable goals include a double against his former club Ayr United in Dundee’s promotion campaign two seasons ago and a thrilling finish to rubber stamp their return in the 5-3 win over title rivals Queen’s Park in the final, must-not-lose game.
The lobbed winner against Hearts a year ago this month was one of ten he scored from a slightly different, more central position. Docherty has spoken about wanting to ensure he was more involved. The manager later increased this responsibility by handing him the captain's armband.
McCowan has been good for Dundee and Dundee have been good for him. It was the kind of deal a club like Dundee ought to have been doing as they prepared for life back in the top flight, evoking memories of plucking promising talents such as John Brown and Robert Connor from the lower tiers in the mid-1980s and selling them on for profit.
McCowan was 23 and itching to progress after six years at Ayr. Underlining his commitment to making the best of himself was his willingness to continue working as a lifeguard in Greenock while playing part-time for Ayr, meaning his day could stretch from 5am to 10pm. Now 26, it’s easy to see why he might view this as the right time to make the next step. But where?
Why not put a call in to Ian McCall, who handed McCowan his senior at debut at Ayr United and once played for Dundee? “The way Dundee are going I would see Hibs as a sideways move,” the Clyde manager told me. “Celtic? In terms of ability and mentality, he is good enough. Whether that comes off or not I don’t know.”
McCall admits he was surprised McCowan was chosen to replace the injured Joe Shaughnessy as skipper. "He was always so incredibly hard on himself," he said. One imagines McCowan is suffering agonies as he plots his next move in discussions with former Dundee United manager Jackie McNamara, who is his agent. There will be a natural feeling of loyalty to Dundee.
"Dundee are now back where they should be," said McCall. "You have the big Edinburgh clubs, the big Dundee clubs, the big Glasgow clubs and Aberdeen. They are our big seven clubs. You can’t dispute that. And Luke is captaining one of them.
"He is really fit but he also relies on natural talent,” he added. “I feel we don’t have enough of those kinds of boys around, those who I would pay to watch.”
In that way McCowan is very similar to McCall, who as well as possessing a sweet left foot was someone who got the crowd off their feet. McCall laughs at the comparison. “I had more natural ability, you can print that,” he said. But he’s a committed fan and laments not blooding him earlier at Ayr.
In the game before McCall quit to join Partick Thistle, Ayr were 4-0 up at Alloa at half time. It was 4-0 after just over half an hour. This wasn’t helping McCall’s deliberations as he wrestled over whether to answer Thistle's call. In the end, he did. McCowan was one of the reasons why he felt so torn, along with Alan Forrest.
At a time when wingers are a dying breed, he had two of the best in the country. Why leave?
“I was having to decide whether to go to Thistle. Forrest was on the left cutting in on his right and McCowan was on the right cutting in on his left,” he says. “They were unplayable.”
He remembers coming off at half-time and hearing Manchester City were 5-0 up against Watford (on the way to an 8-0 win) and thinking that both he and Pep Guardiola were equally blessed. Whoever does eventually win the race to sign McCowan should feel similarly grateful.
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.