MACKAY-STEVEN AND CALDWELL

DUNDEE UNITED insist Celtic’s reported interest in winger Gary Mackay-Steven is news to them.
However, the Tannadice outfit will realise the Hoops do not need to make direct contact with them as long as the champions don’t want to sign the 24-year-old for the rest of the season.

The impressive wide player is out of contract at the end of the campaign and is allowed to talk throughout this month to any interested party.

It is an identical situation to the one which confronted former Hoops boss Gordon Strachan in his pursuit of Hibs skipper Gary Caldwell in January 2006.

A pre-contract was signed and Caldwell went from hero to zero with the Easter Road support for the remainder of the season before arriving at Parkhead in the summer of that year.

Ronny Deila, on the look-out for a versatile winger, may tempt United’s resolve with a six-figure offer between now and the end of the month.

The Tannadice board say will deal with that if it comes. However, manager Jackie McNamara has already said MackaySteven is of more worth to the team for the rest of the season than a nominal fee.

The former Hoops skipper said: “It’s all speculation. Until I get a call from the chairman telling me otherwise, nothing is happening. “I don’t take into account any speculation because it never seems to go away.
“Every window, people link our players are away, but we have to just carry on as normal till it closes.
“There is nothing I can do about it.”