JACKIE McNAMARA has vowed to keep challenging his old club Celtic for trophies.
The Dundee United boss saw Stuart Armstrong and Gary Mackay-Steven quit Tannadice only 24 hours after helping them to a League Cup Final meeting with the Hoops next month.
However, ex-Parkhead skipper McNamara has insisted the Tayside outfit will continue to battle for silverware without two of the squad’s most outstanding performers.
He said: “I’m really disappointed to lose Stuart and Gary and so, too, are the supporters.
“The fans and other people might look at it and think we’ve given up on what we have.
“But I can tell them there’s no way that’s true.
“It’s my job to make sure the team keeps moving forward.
“We do that by bringing through more players, signing the right players and keeping the club going in the direction we want.
“There are mixed emotions with what has happened, but you just need to get on with it.
“I spoke to both players and their representatives and they wanted to move on to bigger things at this stage.”
United banked £2million with the promise of add-ons for Armstrong and Mackay-Steven.
The cash windfall allowed McNamara to add Henri Anier, Ryan McGowan, Paul Dixon and Robbie Muirhead to his United squad.
