Kevin Thomson won’t be surprised by anything the Premiership throws at Dundee this season.
But he believes the Dark Blues are on course to surprise the Premiership by passing their way to top-league survival.
Having battled relegation with Hibs for much of last season, Thomson knows exactly how tough the newly-promoted Dee will find things this term.
He said: “I know this League like the back of my hand, and the tempo that we’re playing at, and the way we’re passing the ball, can stand us in good stead. The way we get the ball down and pass is going to catch a few people out.
“We’re going to have ups and down, but we’ll definitely be in there fighting. There’s a feel-good factor around the whole place.”
Thomson will complete his clean sweep of Scotland’s top derbies when he stars for Dundee against city rivals United this season.
Having experienced the blood and thunder of Old Firm and Edinburgh clashes over the years, he insists he’s not fazed by the prospect of leading the Dark Blues down Tannadice Street.
“I must be one of the few players who will have played in so many derbies, so I’m looking forward to it,” he said. “I didn’t realise until after I’d signed and I started talking about it to people that the boys actually walk down to Tannadice.
“It’s something you don’t even think about, but I don’t suppose we’re going to get a bus, are we?
“I played against Sunderland for Middlesbrough, which is a pretty big derby. After being brought up as a Hibs fan, the Edinburgh derbies were something special.
“As for the Old Firm derbies, well, they are just a bit of a blur, to be honest. They’re huge, so I’m not going to be fazed by the Dundee derby.”
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