But, while loving it, he is quick to stress to fellow-Dark Blues there has not been, nor will there be, a return to the kind of reckless spending that, in past times, has seen his club teeter on the brink of oblivion.

Knight’s direct involvement with Dundee was formed during the dark days of late 2003 when debts of £23 million plunged them into administration.

Through fans’ group Dee 4 Life and his subsequent position on the Dens board, he has witnessed at close hand the struggle for survival since.

And he admits that, as recently as the beginning of the year, it was with no great relish he and his fellow-board members were eyeing a budget for this season.

Since then, though, a deal with bankers HBOS that’s wiped out the remaining debt, and the arrival of megabucks backer Calum Melville, have seen a dramatic change in financial fortune.

In the last week, six-figure sums have been splashed on two players, Leigh Griffiths and Gary Harkins, and, in all, nine new players have been brought in.

“If you go back to the start of my involvement during administration, the administrator Tom Burton told us it was unlikely Dundee were going to survive,” he said.

“He described it as his toughest challenge yet and we were going around rattling buckets and collecting coppers from bairns to try to keep the club open.

“To go from that, to seeing us spend something like a quarter of a million on two players, is surreal.”

Surreal, but not stupid, and delighted as he’s been to see Melville splashing his cash, it’s the multi-millionaire’s prudence that impressed Knight most.

“What’s happening is beyond my wildest dreams. A few months ago, we were looking at the budget and thinking of how we would fill the gap between revenue and expenditure that always exists in the First Division.

“Thanks to Calum, that isn’t a problem now, but there have only been so many signings in a short space of time because they were needed.

“By getting things done early, Jocky Scott has the time he needs to mould them into a team.

“If you listen to Calum, he always stresses we are working as a board and this is not just the Calum Melville show.

“Those of us who have been here a while, remember the bad times and we will not let the club go back there. We have a plan that will be followed.”

For all his backing, Melville has no plan to take up a controlling interest at Dens and, while, from the outside, that may seem to leave Dundee in a precarious position, Knight is relaxed about it.

“He is not here for the short term, I have no doubts about that. When you get to know him, you see his energy and his commitment, and you know he is here to be a success.”

Where he does urge caution is over the suggestion the squad put together for the coming season will sweep all aside in the First Division. Experience tells him that won’t be the case.

“When Dundee were relegated, we all thought we were in for a season-long jolly and then it was back to the Premier League.

“We were wrong, and now we are coming up to season five in the First Division. It is a tough league and it will take a lot of hard work by everyone if we are to get out of it.”

“The current board, led by Bob Brannan, have put in a lot of hard work and have taken us from a point where I didn’t think there was a chance of survival, to this,” said the man who is now Dee 4 Life chairman.

“In the worst moment, the fans stuck by the team and the crowds show a large number have stayed with them.

“The crowds have held up remarkably well and, to be honest, there have been times when there has not be much in terms of entertainment and quality on show.

“Now I would expect to see something like 5000 Dundee fans turning out for the first league game against Morton and for all the money that’s been spent and the signings they still have a part to play.

“The First Division is not easy and a big, passionate support can be a help to any team, so, hopefully, the fans will get right behind Dundee.

“I know fans who have stayed away for the past few years and, while I myself go home and away without fail, I can well understand their reasons.

“The message now, though, is it’s no use saying you are a Dundee supporter if you are in the pub or the bookies come three o’clock on a Saturday.

“Like I say, we have a passionate hard core support, but it can be bigger and we need those who have drifted away over the past few seasons to come back.”

While Scott is very quick to acknowledge the work of the board as well as the money and passion of backer Calum Melville have been instrumental in the change of fortune, he likes to think Dee 4 Life and others have played their part.

And he makes a point of highlighting the name of former owner Peter Marr, who was in control when the club lapsed into administration, is included in those “others”.

“At Dee 4 Life, I would like to think we have been sensible and always acted with the best interests of the fans and the club at heart — and that’s how it should have been.

“Regarding Peter, I see him paying his money to watch the team home and away just like I do and — as a fellow-supporter — I have respect for him.

“He’s not only a fan who spends a lot of his time following the team, he is also the main sponsor and is working hard behind the scenes to assist Dee Promotions.

“We are all doing our bit to give our team the best chance we can of success.

“There are many people involved and at last we are all pulling together in the same direction — as one.

“On that score, I would say that I don’t believe there can be a fans’ group anywhere that has a better relationship with the club than we do.

“Right from the board, through the coaching staff and the people working in the offices, we are always given help and see that, like us, they have the club at heart.”

“Last summer, I missed the first week of the pre-season work and, although that does not sound a lot, it meant I missed a lot of the hard work that builds your fitness for the year that lies ahead,” he said.

“On top of that, my foot still was not ready for games and the season had started before I got involved at that level, so I did feel I was a bit behind.”

With that in mind, while he knows he is in for the hardest week of the next 12 months, he was pleased to be back at work this morning.

“The pre-season work here since the manager came in is the hardest I’ve known in my career and, this year, we’ve got a few extra games as well, but it gets you fit.”

The pre-season fixture list will also give Conway the chance to face a giant of the English game in Newcastle United on August 2, and Premiership outfit Blackburn Rovers, also at Tannadice, six days later.

That will be a first for him and it is a challenge he is already looking forward to.

“I’ve never actually faced any of the big English clubs and it will be good to do that and see how we compare.

“The good thing this year is that they have all started their training around the same time as the clubs up here, so they will be near full fitness when they come up and it will be a good test.”

Meeting up with their new team-mates for the first time today were summer signings Danny Cadamarteri, former England youth international Jennison Myrie-Williams and player/goalkeeping coach Steve Banks.