It was a delighted Ray McKinnon who talked to ArabZONE minutes after securing the signature of Scott McDonald on Tuesday. The gaffer expects big things from the Australian this season.
"I am delighted that he has signed. We knew he was available and wanted to bring him to Tannadice", he said.
"We have been in negotiations for a few weeks, and we had him over to St Andrew's and showed him around. It is pleasing that we have beaten a few Premiership clubs and also ones from down south to his signature.
"Scott is exactly the type of player we need right now. He's a goalscorer, and he will be a fantastic foil for all our attacking players."
The gaffer was delighted to get his hands on McDonald and believes he is the perfect package at exactly the right time ahead of a Championship campaign which sees United as favourites for the title.
Ray said, "Scott wants to be involved in a winning team that is playing good football. He is here to help us win the league and get into the Premiership. He has bought into what we intend to do this season.
"He is the type of player we have been holding out for; he's a proven talent. He is fit as a fiddle and ready to score goals. If we can get the ball into the box, he will do a job. He is great at holding the ball up. This is a fantastic signing for us.
"He will help our young players grow. Great signing, outstanding footballer. He's a winner."
While Ray is excited with signing McDonald and despite the fact both James Keatings and Patrick N'Koyi are injured ahead of Sunday's derby match, he will assess the level of involvement that McDonald is exposed to before making his decision ahead of the game.
"With the injuries to our strikers right now, it would be tempting, but I suspect he will be a little bit away from starting a game. We might put him on the bench. We will assess that over the next few days."
The gaffer is looking forward to his first derby as United manager after experiencing a lot of success as a player in these matches.
"It means a lot to me, and it will mean a lot to all those up at Dens. We want to win the game. I want to win it for the fans who are turning up in big numbers, and I can't wait. I enjoyed these games as a player and have vague recollections of scoring in a derby at Dens. I have been focused on signing Scott McDonald, but from today I will start focusing on the game and I intend to enjoy it."
Tickets for the game remain on sale to United supporters and can be purchased from the ticket centre in person or by calling 01382 833166 (option 1). The ticket centre will be open this Sunday from noon until 3pm.
