Shaun Maloney has emerged as the leading contender for the Dundee managerial job following the dismissal of Tony Docherty.

Herald Sport say that he is ‘interested’ in taking up the job.

The position became vacant after the club’s American ownership duo, Tim Keyes and John Nelms, made the decision to part company with Docherty and his coaching staff.

Maloney, 41, is no stranger to managerial speculation at Dens Park. He previously held talks with Dundee in 2022 but a deal couldn’t be reached at the time. With the vacancy now open again, and Maloney available following his departure from Wigan Athletic in March, a return to Scottish football could be on the cards.

The former Scotland international began his coaching journey at Celtic in 2017, overseeing the club’s under-20 side before joining Belgium’s national team setup under Roberto Martinez. During his time with the Red Devils, he worked with some of the world’s top players and helped guide the side to the Euro 2020 quarter-finals.

Maloney’s first shot at senior management came with Hibernian in 2021. He made a promising start but results tailed off, and he was relieved of his duties just four months later after a poor league run and a Scottish Cup semi-final defeat to Hearts.

He returned to Wigan in early 2023, taking charge of the club where he once played. However, his second spell didn’t fare much better, ending with his dismissal earlier this year amid another difficult run of form.

Despite setbacks, Maloney remains a highly regarded young coach with a clear footballing philosophy and experience at both international and club level. Dundee, having just wrapped up their Premiership campaign, avoiding relegation, will be looking to move quickly as they prepare for the new season, and Maloney could be the man tasked with leading their next chapter.