Jackie McNamara hopes to lure close friend Neil McCann to Partick Thistle

PARTICK Thistle manager Jackie McNamara is hopeful his long-standing friendship with Neil McCann will persuade the former Scotland winger to extend his playing career at Firhill rather than Dens Park next season.

McCann came out of retirement in February this year to play three matches for Dundee, his first senior club, as a trialist and scored a spectacular late winner in the first of them against Raith Rovers.

Dundee are keen to sign the former Rangers and Hearts player again for the forthcoming campaign but could now lose out to their First Division rivals Thistle whose new boss McNamara has been close friends with McCann since their days together in the Scotland under-21 squad. "I would love to sign Neil," confirmed McNamara. "I was with him on a Uefa coaching course in Belfast last week and we spoke about him coming to Firhill. He has been asked to go up to Dundee and obviously he had a spell there last season with Barry Smith.

"From Thistle's point of view, I've got two experienced lads in Alan Archibald and David Rowson while the rest of my squad are really youngsters. So to get someone in like Neil to help them along would be ideal. It is all about setting examples. Neil is incredibly fit and could still play at a high level. If I can tempt him in any way, I will be delighted. He also has commitments with his television work for Sky Sports, but we might we able to work around that. We are close friends and I will try my best. He could bring so much to us."

McNamara was speaking as Thistle announced a new three-year shirt sponsorship deal with Aberdeenshire-based spring water company MacB, worth a six-figure sum to the club. "The sponsorship deal is great for the club but I will need to sit down with the board and see if it helps the pot for the squad," added McNamara. "I've got 19 players at the moment and then youngsters to add to that. That is the way forward for Partick Thistle in any case. The sponsorship has a heavy community input and that's the road we have to go down."

The former Celtic captain, who has now formally retired as a player, is relishing his first managerial role which was made permanent in the summer after he initially replaced Ian McCall on an interim basis. "I've already made the switch in my head from player to manager," said the 37-year-old.

"I've spoken to people about it and the final five games of last season helped when I was in interim charge. I've spoken to guys like Malky Mackay and Paul Lambert, who I played with at Celtic and are now doing well in management at Watford and Norwich. So I've had good advice and Thistle is a great place for me to start out. It is a fantastic club and things are on the up at Partick Thistle in my view.

"I've got a good feeling about the season ahead, but who knows. We were fifth last year and we would hope to improve that. I am looking forward to the challenge. I want to be my own man. I'm not here to emulate or copy someone I have worked with. I have to do it the way I think it should be done. "A lot of people may think they know me in terms of my image, but people close to me know there is a different side. If someone is not doing things right, I will tell them. I've already had to let some people leave the club and that is one of the hardest things you can do in management."McNamara will attempt to marry pragmatism with panache as a manager, mindful of the playing ethos of his former Celtic mentor Tommy Burns but also keenly aware of the need to establish a winning style.

"I like to get the ball down and pass it and I want the players to enjoy it," he said. "We also want the fans to enjoy it. But I will be judged on results. So it is about getting a balance. I know how I want to play and it is important the fans get entertained.

"We had a great year at Celtic under Tommy in 1995-96 when we played great football and only lost one league game. That is the style I kind of want from my team."