Gary Bowyer has urged Dundee chiefs to dig deep to ensure the Dens men don’t flop on their Premiership return like two years ago.
The English boss - who has yet to commit his own future to the Taysiders - knows a huge task lies ahead if the club is to be ready for the “big ask” of surviving in the Premiership.
Celebrations among Dee fans might still be rumbling on after Friday night’s thrilling Championship title triumph against Queen’s Park and thousands turned out in the city centre for a civic reception this afternoon. But for owner Tim Keyes and MD John Nelms, together with technical director Gordon Strachan, the work in in tying down the club’s top prospects such as Lyall Cameron and Josh Mulligan as well as bringing in fresh blood is already underway.
And Bowyer reckons the budgets of rival clubs in the top flight mean Dundee - who finished bottom on just 29 points a year ago - can’t afford to be tight this summer.
He said: “The club has to try to go forward now and stop being a yo-yo club by being established in the Premiership.
“Obviously that will take a lot of hard work both on and off the pitch. Finance comes into that. Hearing what clubs pay in the Premiership, I’m not talking top four but lower down, and how competitive it is - it is a big ask next season.
“We have 20 players out of contract as well. I only signed one permanent player this season as well as Pierre Reedy and Derick Osei. The club has now got to move forward.”
Bowyer and assistant Billy Barr moved north last summer to replace Mark McGhee after Dundee were relegated just 12 months after winning promotion through the play-offs.
The former Blackburn Rovers and Blackpool boss had been axed by Salford City just a month earlier.
But steering the pre-season favourites for the title to the most dramatic of triumphs on the final day has lifted his stock in managerial circles.
The 51-year-old was coy on his future but admitted the past year had been immense.
He said: “It’s massive for us. Myself and Billy Barr have come away from our families, they stayed down in England so that’s been tough.
“People have rallied round and we’ve rallied round each other.
“Our families back home deserve enormous amount of credit for the love and support we’ve had off them.
“It’s worth it for days like that. To get them on FaceTime on the pitch was amazing. It’s tough for us on our own up here at times but it’s tough for them as well. Those are family choices.
“But a few months ago we had a brilliant meeting with the group where we sat down and asked ‘who are we doing this for and why we do it’.
“The honesty from the group and the sharing of some of the stories, some of the things that have happened to these lads in their lives, and they were so open with them.
“I’m delighted for the players and their families. To get Dundee back up at the first time of asking is immense for everyone connected.”
