Gordon Strachan lined up for director of football role at Dundee

Dundee are set to hand Gordon Strachan greater responsibility at Dens Park with a promotion to a new director of football role, STV understands.

The former Celtic and Scotland manager has been acting as a technical adviser with a focus on youth development since 2019 but will now be tasked with revamping the football side of the club after their relegation to the Championship.

Strachan’s first task could be to find a new management team, with Mark McGhee and assistant Simon Rusk coming to the end of their short-term contracts.

McGhee, a lifelong friend and former team-mate of Strachan, was appointed to replace James McPake in February as Dundee looked to escape the drop from the Premiership. However, the side won only one of 13 games before their relegation was confirmed.

With Strachan set to take control of all football operations, he will also be responsible for expected changes to the playing squad, with a number of first team players reaching the end of their existing deals, and others moving on following the failure to stay in the top flight.

Dundee had beaten Hibernian 3-1 on Tuesday in their second-last league match, raising faint hopes that they could leapfrog St Johnstone into the play-off spot and have a chance of staying up.

However, St Johnstone’s 1-0 defeat of Aberdeen on Wednesday consigned the Dark Blues to the Championship, regardless of the result when they play Livingston on Sunday.