Most recently, he has been scouting for Celtic on a part-time basis, but has jumped at the chance to return to football full-time with the club he supported as a boy and finished his playing career with.

He was also youth coach at Dens during Jocky’s previous spell as manager in the late 1990s and went on to assist Jim Duffy with the first team, but fell victim of cuts when the Dark Blues were relegated in 2005.

While Jocky plans to be around for several years, at least, as well as for immediate input, Farningham’s appointment fits in with plans to aim for continuity in the manager’s chair and he will be seen as a potential future boss.

“He was obviously here last time I was manager, so I know him very well. He is a very good coach, who can work with players at all levels of the club and I know I can trust him,” said Jocky.

“He is also a local boy, who was a Dundee supporter, and, while that in itself isn’t the most important thing, it’s good that he knows the club so well and the way things work here.”

Looking at his first game back, the 1-1 draw with Airdrie, today Jocky praised players and fans for pulling together.

“On Saturday, I thought the supporters were fantastic. In the first 20 minutes we could easily have been three down, but they stayed right behind the team and I think you saw the players responding to that,” he said.

“In the end, we were not able to give them the result we wanted, but a draw was a start.

“When I arrived on Thursday, I said we had to stop losing games and losing goals and, in that sense, it was half the job done.

“So long as I get the effort I did from the players on Saturday, though, I believe we will improve and start getting clean sheets and victories.”

The Dundee FC Development Club are holding a meeting tomorrow (7 pm for a 7.30 start) in the Stobswell Sports and Social Club, Raglan Street, Dundee. Members and guests are urged to attend.