Declan Gallagher issued Aberdeen apology by Jim Goodwin before Dundee United transfer pitch after exit 'mistake'

Declan Gallagher admitted Jim Goodwin apologised for showing him the door at Aberdeen before he began his sales pitch to get him to Dundee United.

The Irishman told him he was too hasty in his last post, selling the former Scotland international to St Mirren last summer. Gallagher felt he was good enough to play at Pittodrie but acknowledged he didn’t have the best of times in the Granite City. The fact that Goodwin has come back in to sign him for United means they will work together at the second time of asking.

And Gallagher said: “I worked with him when he first came into Aberdeen and he was great to work with. He is really honest – a straight-shooter – and tells it how it is. I know I didn’t have the greatest of seasons at Aberdeen. I can hold my hands up to that and I actually said that to him on the phone.

“He actually apologised and said he made a mistake but that’s just football. It’s all about opinions and I didn’t have a great season.

“I’ll always back myself but I know it wasn’t my greatest season up there. It wasn’t up to the standards I set for myself. There are no grievances there.

“He wanted to go in a different direction but no bridges were burned and it says a lot about what he thinks of me as a footballer, and what I think of him as a manager, that we’ve joined back up.”

The 32-year-old actually had more lucrative offers from the Indian Super League. Chennaiyin made him an offer but he knew it wasn’t right when his daughter burst into tears when he was on a Zoom to Owen Coyle’s side.

Gallagher said: “I had Chennaiyin over in India interested in me, with Owen Coyle over there. We had a chat about that but with my family being from Dundee and having two small kids, and this opportunity being right