James McPake has revealed he texted Lyall Cameron predicting he’d sign for Rangers – or Celtic – before reaching 150 games for Dundee.
The former Dens Park boss’ premonition was proved correct on transfer Deadline Day as Rangers announced they’d signed Cameron on a pre-contract. Record Sport has since revealed that a transfer tribunal will likely set a compensation figure of £400,000 for the Scotland Under 21 ace when he makes the switch to Ibrox this summer – around £200,000 less than the amount Gers were forced to fork out for Connor Barron, who made the move from Aberdeen in similar circumstances last year.
McPake, who handed Cameron his Dundee debut as a 17-year-old nearly six years ago, always felt the midfielder was destined for one of the big two. And after Cameron brought up his ‘Dee century in a 4-1 win over Motherwell last December, McPake told the Scotsman he messaged Cameron predicting he wouldn’t play half that again in dark blue before making the switch to Glasgow, or curiously, Birmingham City.
The text read: “You won’t get to 150 mate – Celtic or Rangers in the summer, or Birmingham City.”
The reference to City came after McPake took a call from Blues’ assistant technical director Callum Carsley – brother of former England interim head coach Lee – asking for a lowdown on Cameron as the League One outfit considered a potential swoop for the player.
Cameron is an injury doubt for Wednesday night’s trip to Celtic Park. But boss Tony Docherty has no doubt there won’t be a drop off in his application or attitude after committing his future elsewhere. He said: “He’s a brilliant person so I know how committed he will be until the end of the season. I have no worries about him at all, none.
“I can guarantee he will give 100 percent for Dundee in every game he plays. I have a close relationship with all my players. Lyall is such a level-headed boy who knows where he’s going and is hugely focused on his career. He’s always been determined to be a top footballer and everything in his life is geared towards that.”