He admits a big personal disappointment from last term was the frequency with which opponents found a way past him and, even in Saturday’s friendly, Raith Rovers managed to sneak a goal.

By the time the SPL action gets under way at the end of the month against Falkirk, however, he hopes United will have learned not to leak so badly.

“Every professional player should want to improve his game and I am no different,” said Stillie, speaking from the pre-season training base in Denmark.

“I want to do better this time around and what I really would like are more clean sheets. There were not enough last season and, going through the whole defence, we need to start taking pride in not losing goals.

“Knowing you are solid at the back gives you confidence to nick one or two at the other end of the park, as great sides like Italy and France showed at the World Cup.”

When Stillie arrived at Tannadice from Dunfermline last summer, hopes were high at United following a Scottish Cup Final appearance against Celtic and with a UEFA Cup tie against Mypa to look forward to.

Hopes were dashed by a campaign full of struggles — the European exit at the hands of the Finns probably the lowest point of all — that saw boss Gordon Chisholm lose his job and Craig Brewster take over.

Stillie thinks expectations were artificially high, but is happy that Brewster is planning for the long haul rather than promising instant gratification.

“When I came here 12 months ago, everyone you talked to said we should be up there doing this or that,” he said.

“Yes, it was a worthy aspiration given the quality in the squad, but maybe it is best that progress is gradual and I thought our immediate ambition should have been to be better than the year before.

“Everything Craig has done since taking over has been for the long-term benefit of United and I like that.

“He has brought in new faces, but has also made aesthetic changes in the dressing-room area and around the ground. That shows how he is thinking about freshening the club up. It is all symbolic of a new start.”

Stillie will face a tough test tomorrow night when the Tangerines play Herfolge in the first game of their Danish tour.

In with a chance of featuring in that match, meanwhile, is Australian trialist Lindsay Wilson. The 27-year-old former PSV Eindhoven defender has made his own way to Farum and joined the rest of the players in training this morning.

Wilson impressed Brewster when he played for Kilmarnock last season against United, and the manager said, “I am glad Lindsay got here safe and well and we will see how he does.”