CHRIS DOCHERTY APPOINTED HEAD OF TACTICAL PERFORMANCE

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Chris Docherty as the Club's new Head of Tactical Performance.

The 29-year-old, a former analyst and scout with Croatian giants Hajduk Split, takes over Head Coach Tam Courts' former role as the club looks to create an even stronger link between the first team and Our Academy.

Not only will Chris work closely with Our Academy players, with the aim to make the transition to the senior squad more seamless, he will also be in charge of tactical analysis for the first team.

Speaking on his appointment, Chris said: "I'm delighted to be joining Dundee United at a real landmark time for the club. I've known for a couple of years about a lot of the positive changes Andy Goldie has made to improve the youth academy here and we're now at a point where we have a number of exciting young talents, combined with a hungry and innovative coaching staff stepping into the first team, and when I spoke to the people at the club in detail my general feeling that was this was a unique project within Scottish football.

"I've had a number of long and detailed conversations with the new manager (Tam Courts) which were fundamental to me joining the club. Of course, it's not going to be easy to develop young players while playing an attractive style and getting results, but there are plenty of forward-thinking teams in Europe who do so, including where I worked previously in Croatia.

"For me, it is a standard requirement to aim for all of those objectives. Knowing some of the key staff members at the club as well as I do such as Andy and Tam, who has all the attributes to be a very successful manager, I felt we were well placed to kick on and create a special period in the legacy of Dundee United. I wanted to be part of that vision and am really excited to play my own small part in that process."

Chris' career has seen him gain experience across the globe. Prior to his time in Croatia, Chris worked in the SFA's Performance School as a coach and analyst before travelling to China to become Xi Guan's Head of Coaching.

He then delivered courses on coaching, technical and executive roles in football at Real Madrid's University.

We can also confirm that Head of Performance Analysis Stevie Grieve has left the club. Stevie joined the club in 2019 and was part of the performance team that helped the club to the Scottish Championship title.

"I want to thank everyone at Dundee United for an amazing few years," said Stevie. "After a successful couple of seasons that saw the club win promotion back to the top-flight and then reach the Scottish Cup semi-final, it just felt like the right time to move on.

"I wish all the players and staff the best going forward and, hopefully, the club can continue the progression it's been on for the last number of years."