Dundee: Steven Pressley named head coach after Brentford exit

As part of a restructuring of the Dens Park football department, former St Mirren assistant David Longwell has also joined the club as technical manager, focusing on player development, having ended the season as caretaker manager with National League club Fylde.

Dundee point to Pressley’s “fantastic knowledge and experience of the game”, with managing director John Nelms adding that he “brings with him a shared core value of player development and a rounded approach to winning football”.

Pressley was still a player with Heart of Midlothian when he took his first steps into management as caretaker for two games at the end of the 2004-05 season and became assistant to Scotland manager George Burley in February 2008.

He suffered relegation with Falkirk in his first foray into full-time management, but he then led Coventry clear of relegation in League One despite the club going into administration.

He was eventually sacked after a poor run of results and had short spells in charge of Fleetwood Town, Cypriot top-flight club Pafos and, in 2019, League Two outfit Carlisle United.

“Steven will be installing a framework that delivers on the messaging that the senior players and the development players are one effective team,” Nelms told his club website.

“David comes to us with a long and productive history in the development of players both north and south of the border.

“Player development has always been at the forefront of our club and, with the amount of young emerging talent, it is important that the restructuring of the football department will emphasise this even more.

“His main role will be working alongside technical director Gordon Strachan and head coach Steven Pressley to ensure the concentrated development of the individual player. David will also have additional roles within the first team set-up.”

Longwell has been academy manager with St Mirren, Orlando, New York, Shrewsbury Town and Burnley.

He was also St Mirren assistant for five months from December 2014 and filled the same position with Shrewsbury and Fylde, where he took over as caretaker manager in February as they headed for relegation.

Dundee say Pressley, who was signed as a player by Strachan when he was Celtic manager, has already started his new role despite being on a pre-planned silver wedding anniversary holiday to the far east.