Micky Mellon would be ‘great fit’ for Dundee United - Steve Banks

Ex-Tannadice stopper gives former colleague ringing endorsement

Former Dundee United goalkeeper Steve Banks has backed Micky Mellon for the Dundee United job.

Micky Mellon would be a perfect appointment for Dundee United according to the club’s former goalkeeper Steve Banks.

Mellon has emerged as the frontrunner to replace Robbie Neilson after the Tranmere Rovers boss was given permission to speak to the Tannadice outfit following an official approach on Friday.

Banks played alongside Mellon in the mid-1990s at Blackpool and also worked under him at Tranmere, spending six months as goalkeeper coach before taking up a similar post at Blackpool last year.

Banks, inset, spent a decade in Scottish football including a four-year stint at United either side of spells at Hearts and St Johnstone and believes his former colleague is the right man for the Tannadice vacancy.

“He’s a fantastic manager. I really enjoyed working with him and I think he’ll be a really good fit for Dundee United,” the Englishman told BBC Sportsound.

“As a player himself he was very tenacious, box-to-box, high energy, great attitude, would always leave everything on the pitch ... and I think he’s taken that into his managerial role, where there’s no stone unturned, he gives everything he’s got, he’s high energy and he wants his teams to play like that. He wants the passion.

“He tries to get his teams to play the way he is as a player and as a person. I think it will suit Dundee United if he gets the role. I think he’d be a great fit for them.”

Prior to suffering relegation following the premature conclusion of last season, Mellon had won back-to-back promotions with Tranmere, taking the club from the National League to League One in consecutive seasons.

He also won promotion with both Fleetwood Town and Shrewsbury, and Banks believes his success south of the border will stand him in good stead for the move to his native Scotland.

“At Tranmere the purse strings haven’t just been let go, he’s had to do it on a budget, and has gone from the conference where lads are on less money, taken them into League Two and had the hardcore of the same players and got them promoted to League One, so he can do it on a budget,” he said.

“The players will love playing for him. He wants hard work and honesty and will give that back, and I think that will be successful for them.”