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General Sport - 20 July 2009
Football: Blether with Brown > Touchline
 
Cameron’s big chance
Forgotten man Greg Cameron is aiming to use the familiar green turf of Ireland this week to play his way back into Craig Levein’s plans for Dundee United in the coming season (writes Tom Duthie).
The former Scotland Under-21 captain has fallen out of sight at Tannadice over the past couple of seasons, but, as he flew out with the rest of the squad today, insisted he still he has a future with United.

And the four-day stay in the Dublin area marks a quick return to the Emerald Isle for Cameron, who only last month ended a successful loan spell with Shamrock Rovers.

That’s left him with an edge when it comes to match fitness and he is determined to make the most of the opportunity the manager has told him he’ll get.

“I’m delighted to be back with United and it’s nice to be coming to Ireland. I’m focused on pushing for a place,” said the 21-year-old.

“I spoke to the manager when my loan ended. He told me that, if I wanted to come back and try to force my way in, he’d be happy for that.

“He says if I impress and do well, then he’ll select me, so it couldn’t be fairer than that.

“I’m hoping to use the Ireland trip to catch his eye because it has been too long since I last played for Dundee United.”

The last two campaigns have seen him manage just three top-team appearances in Tangerine, but, with a game against Drogheda tonight to be followed by clashes with UCD tomorrow and Kildare on Thursday, he knows he will get the opportunities he wants here in Ireland.

And the experience of his 13-game stint with Rovers, managed by ex-United man Michael O’Neill, tells him it is going to be a testing few days.

“I played against Drogheda and Kildare when I was here, so I know what to expect from them.

“Drogheda are a very dogged side. They’re physically strong and like to play the ball from back to front.

“One thing’s for sure, they will get in our faces and the Irish lads would love to take a Scottish scalp, so they’ll be up for it.

“I also came up against Kildare in a cup-tie. We won 3-0 and it was a pretty one-sided game, but, like Drogheda, they were very physical.”

That and the fact they will be playing teams who are in the middle of their domestic season is why United have returned here for the second year running.

And Cameron has warned his team-mates they will not have things easy.

“The manager wants us to play these kind of teams because they’ll all be very fit and it will be a big test,” he added.

“I’d say the standard of the teams will be about First Division level, so they’re no mugs.

“There are three or four teams in Ireland who could go into Division One and be successful, the rest are maybe mid-table to lower end of that league.”

Cameron’s desperation to re-ignite his United career has seen him pass up on the chance to face Real Madrid, complete with Cristiano Ronaldo, when Shamrock Rovers face the super-rich Spaniards tonight.

Dee plans back on track
Dundee were at last able to get down to some serious work today after unseasonable weather washed out most of the weekend plans at their pre-season training camp in Austria (writes Tom Duthie).
As torrential rain and thunder and lightning storms swept the Alps, there was little the Dark Blues could do on Saturday and Sunday other than wait for the weather to break, and their scheduled friendly against Hallwang had to be cancelled.

That’s been replaced by a glamour clash with top German outfit Borussia Monchengladbach on Wednesday, though just being able to get out and train properly was what was pleasing boss Jocky Scott most today.

“The facilities were excellent and it now looks like we are getting full use of them, so that’s good. It’s been disappointing missing out on the work we planned for the past few days, but it was beyond our control,” he said on the line from Austria.

“From the point of view of getting the boys together, it has already been a very good trip and, from a fitness aspect, there is no problem because that is not the kind of work we are doing out here and their levels are already up.

“What we’ve missed out on is getting on a pitch and working on what we do when we have the ball and what we do when the opposition have it.

“We also could have done with the game on Saturday, because the boys are ready for one and they are anxious to get out and start playing.”

There will be plenty of opportunity now for the players to see action, and tomorrow’s clash with FC Augsburg means there will be two games in 24 hours before the squad fly home on Thursday to make ready for Aberdeen’s visit to Dens on Saturday.

After his injury problems, defender Chris Casement will not be ready for either of the two midweek outings, but he has resumed full training and that’s a bonus.

“Although we brought Chris, we were not sure how much he would be able to do, so to see him working with the rest of the boys and feeling fine is good,” added Jocky.

Goalie Rab Douglas is feeling a calf and that’s restricting his work, but he is not causing concern.

Back in Dundee, Leigh Griffiths was training with the youths and the signs are he is over the mystery bug that forced him out of the Austria trip.

“I’ve spoken to him on the phone and he is sounding a lot better. He’s done a bit of work on his own and his legs feel weak, but that’s to be expected and, hopefully, he is ready to start building up again.”

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