Dundee manager Paul Hartley shares his top career moments

PAUL Hartley picked up 25 Scotland caps during a playing career that saw him star at Hamilton Accies, Millwall, Raith Rovers, Hibs, St Johnstone, Hearts, Celtic, Bristol City and Aberdeen.

Best manager you played for? There’s no doubt it was Gordon Strachan. He was a brilliant man-manager and tactically he was on another planet. He was very funny to be around too, but he had a real hard edge. You never crossed him. Best player you played with? Shunsuke Nakamura was technically incredible. He could do things with the ball I didn’t think were possible before I played with him. He was the only team-mate I ever had who never shouted for the ball you just knew he would be in the right place. Best player you played against? I played against Messi but, for me, nobody came close to Andrea Pirlo. I played against him for Celtic against AC Milan and for Scotland against Italy and he was amazing. He seemed to have so much time on the ball. Turning point in your career? When I was at St Johnstone and Billy Stark moved me into the centre of midfield from the wing.

I had a bit of pace in those days and had started as a wide player, but he saw something in me and switched me inside. Luckily, it worked out well! Best goal you ever scored? It was the free-kick for Hearts against Hibs in the 2006 Scottish Cup semi-final. I got a hat-trick that day, but the free-kick stands out for me. You might even say it was Pirlo-esque! Biggest achievement in your career? There are a lot of things first goal, first Scotland cap, Scottish Cups, League Cups, finishing second with Hearts, management, winning promotion. It’s all of those things. Biggest influence on your career? There were great coaches and managers over the years but the person who has been there right from the start is my mum. She brought me up, so she has been a massive influence, and she still is she still comes to the games now. Most memorable game? It’s that Scottish Cup semi-final again for Hearts. Everything I touched that day seemed to happen for me. It was one of the biggest Edinburgh derby games there had ever been. Everything around it was perfect. Best story about a team-mate? Yogi Hughes was a team-mate at Hibs, as was Dirk Lehmann, the big German striker, who fancied himself as a bit of a dresser. He had the long leather coat, the fancy boots, and one day he went to slip the boots back on after training to find Yogi had nailed them to the floor. He took it well to be fair. Secret about you? Football completely dominates my life. I’m on the road all the time, every day, clocking up the miles. It’s what I know best. In that respect, I’m honestly a bit boring!