James McPake has revealed the Jack Ross pep talk that helped Dundee turn their poor form in promotion.
The Dundee boss guided the Dens Park club to second in the Championship behind Hearts and eventually to the Premiership after beating Kilmarnock in the Pyramid Play-Off final.
But it wasn’t always plain sailing and McPake found himself under pressure back in February.
However, an encouraging call from the Hibs boss helped him keep his focus.
The pair went head-to-head in the Betfred Cup at Easter Road earlier in the season but were friendly anyway.
Dundee fan Ross of course would have been desperate to see the Dark Blues go up anyway, but his relationship with the ex-Hibees captain meant he was able to pick up the phone and offer a friendly word when it was most needed.
“I was talking to Mark Kerr on the morning he got sacked, because I had a similar phone call from Jack Ross just a couple of weeks earlier,” McPake told Open Goal.
“He told me just to dig in and keep working away because we were going through a bad spell and I’m mates with Kerrso so I spoke to him.
“Jack’s been massive for me. I knew him through doing PFA stuff and then just keeping in touch and speaking to him. He’s been very helpful.
“Michael Beale [Rangers coach] is different class. He’s one of the best actually. We met through a friend; the sports scientist at Coventry worked with him at Liverpool and it’s just the advice he’ll give you and things he’ll help you with.
Like jack, Bealey’s young but with the career and success he’s had, having someone like him to speak to is a massive help.
“There’s loads out there and as a young manager, I think you need to take as much advice as you can.
“It was all new to me, going into offices and I was always asking questions.”
