| The giant Dutchman was brought over to this country by Craig when he was Hearts boss and together they made the switch to Leicester City a couple of years back.
De Vries has since returned to has native Holland for a loan spell with Den Haag and, although he has the best part of two years left on his contract at the Walkers Stadium, he has said he would like nothing more than to team up with his old gaffer again.
Nice as that was to hear, Craig has made it clear fitness rather than flattery will be a major criteria when it comes to bolstering his squad in the January transfer window.
“I knew nothing about this until I read what Mark was saying this morning and I have not spoken to him. It’s obviously been a case of someone putting two and two together and giving him a call because you can see we need more strikers here and I do think a target man would give us a different option.
“Right now, we are really restricted to playing 4-5-1 and, even if we are looking to change things from the bench, we don’t have the type of striker to alter the way we play.
“Just having that option would be nice and Mark obviously fits the bill, but, although I have identified the need for that type of player, I am not far down the road when it comes to his identity.
“I don’t think Mark has played that much football this year, though I’m not 100% sure on that because I have not been checking on him, and, come January, I will be looking to get players who are match fit.”
That he should be linked with one of his former players has not surprised Craig and with another of his old favourites, Steven Pressley, going through much-publicised troubles at Hearts it won’t come as a shock if he also gets mentioned in connection with a Tannadice switch.
He does not, however, expect to see ‘Elvis’ back in Tangerine — he left United for Hearts in 1998.
“Obviously, Steven’s situation has just happened and you could see him being linked, but I really don’t think he is in our price range just now.
“People know I am looking to add to the squad in January and it will lead to more stories, but I prefer to speak about things once they’ve been done and that’s what I’ll be doing.”
With no SPL reserve fixture this week, a game against Partick Thistle was arranged and several of the players who have been out of the starting line-up since Craig arrived were given a run-out in Glasgow this afternoon.
Cowdenbeath’s French midfielder Morgaro Gomis (20) is on trial at Tannadice. |
