Yesterday’s match against Partick Thistle saw Paul McGowan make his 200th appearance for the club.
In more than five seasons at Dens Park, fans favourite Gowser has captained the club, been part of a top six finish, scored the winner in a derby to knock United out the League Cup and now he has racked up a double century of appearances in Dark Blue – a tremendous feat in the modern game.
Paul started his career with Celtic and came through the ranks at the Glasgow club. His first taste of top team action came on loan to Greenock Morton where he netted 14 times and helped Morton to the Second Division Championship in 2006/07.
He made his Celtic debut at the age of 19 the following season in a 5-0 win over Inverness Caledonian Thistle after starting on the bench alongside the manager who brought him to Dens, Paul Hartley.
His European debut came in the Champions League in 2008 when he again came off the bench in a 2-0 win over Villarreal at Celtic Park. Paul then joined Hamilton Academical on loan and gained his first top flight experience, turning out 14 times, scoring once in his five months at New Douglas Park.
Season 2009/10 saw him return to Celtic Park and make six appearances, including one in the Europa League, in which he scored a last minute goal to earn The Bhoys a 3-3 draw away at Rapid Vienna.
He joined St. Mirren on loan for the following year and was a regular in the team before joining permanently in the summer of 2011. Paul spent three further seasons with the Paisley club and his finest moment came when he picked up the Man of the Match award in St. Mirren’s League Cup Final victory over Hearts in 2013.
Paul Hartley brought the midfielder to Dens in the summer of 2014 where he has become a cult hero with the support and scored his first goal for the club later that season with an injury time winner against Partick Thistle on Valentine’s Day.
Paul was a key player as Dundee secured a top six finish in their first season back in the Premiership and won five supporters clubs Player of the Year awards and a further 12 in his second season as well as picking up the Man of the Match Player of the Season Award for being voted online as man of the match the most times.
Paul captained the club for the first time in his second Dundee season and as one of the most experienced players at the club, continues to wear the armband on a regular basis, with every one of his managers at Dens Park having entrusted him to lead out the team.
His final game in his second season saw Paul play his part in the Dundee derby which saw Dundee United relegated after The Dee’s 2-1 win at Dens and 15 months later wrote his name into derby folklore when he scored the winner to knock The Arabs out of the Betfred Cup.
After United equalised Faissal El Bahktaoui’s sensational first half strike, Gowser took matters into his own hands when he scored a terrific goal himself midway through the second half. On 64 minutes Roarie Deacon sent a long ball across the penalty for Scott Allan to roll the ball into the path of McGowan who side footed the ball first time across United goalkeeper Lewis and high into the net from 15 yards in front of the assembled Dees in the Bobby Cox Stand.
Gowser then, in celebration, ran the length of the Dens Park pitch and stood in front of the away support in the Bob Shankly Stand cupping his ears.
By then important goals were becoming a McGowan trade mark as the previous season he had scored a crucial winner away at Hamilton to end a poor run of results, scored the second as the Dark Blues came from two goals down to win 3-2 at home to Hearts just before Christmas and the decisive third in a 3-1 win in Dingwall.
When Neil McCann took over for the last five games of the 2016/17 season, McGowan was pushed up the park to play off the lone striker and was a revelation in the role. Not only did he display his versatility, his performances were key in maintaining Dundee’s top flight status and showed there is no better man to have down in the trenches with you.
Over the next two seasons McGowan picked up another ten Player of the Year awards from various supporters clubs and last season jointly won the Online Man of the Match Player of the Season, to win the award for a second time.
In his five years at Dens, McGowan has scored 12 times and made 18 assists in his 15,870 minutes on the pitch, in his 200 appearances in Dark Blue. A terrific, combative midfielder, with a lovely touch and superb vision, Paul McGowan embodies everything the Dundee support want to see from his heroes and despite a penchant for having a moan when things go wrong, leads by example on the pitch and is a fans favourite off it.
To rack up 200 appearances for one club in the modern game is unusual and Paul deserves every plaudit that comes his way for a true modern Dundee great.
