Dundee boss Mark McGhee reveals Charlie Adam hospital visit and calls relegation talk 'premature'

The club captain didn't train until Friday ahead of the 2-2 draw with Aberdeen but showed his class as a second-half substitute, setting up both of the team’s goals with set-piece deliveries.

"Charlie was ill last weekend, he had gastroenteritis,” McGhee said. “He took himself to the hospital at one point.

“He'd had an injury before that and hadn't trained. So I didn't really hold any hope that he was going to take any part today. But he came to see me, he wanted to be part of it, even though he felt that he couldn't go on – he would at least be among it and in the dressing room and helping the lads. Which shows great attitude. And we did get him on for as long as it was probably right to because he only trained on Friday and he didn't do a lot.

Dundee manager Mark McGhee. (Photo by Craig Foy / SNS Group)

"Fantastic contribution from him, and it's not a surprise, Charlie's at the heart of everything. Most of what's good in the last 18 months or two years, Charlie's had an involvement.”

Despite fighting back twice, Dundee find themselves six points adrift after St Johnstone defeated Livingston.

"It's not the result we wanted but I think it could be a huge point at the end of the season,” McGhee said. “We deserved the point. It gives great hope going into the last six games.

"We're hopeful, and I'm not disrespecting St Johnstone in any shape or form, they've had a great result today. We got absolutely mullered by Livingston and they've went and beat them. But they play Celtic next week.

"There's a huge game for us down the road [at Dundee United] but it's a game, having looked at [today] and with the likes of Charlie coming back, that we can go and win. If we can win that and the rest goes to form, we could be standing next Saturday night three points behind St Johnstone with five games to play.

"Anybody who writes us off at this stage is being premature."

Get a year of unlimited access to all The Scotsman's sport coverage without the need for a full subscription. Expert analysis of the biggest games, exclusive interviews, live blogs, transfer news and 70 per cent fewer ads on Scotsman.com - all for less than £1 a week. Subscribe to us today