Dundee United

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Dutch centre-half Bert Esselink believes his decision to ignore advice not to move to Cyprus when he was 20 has paid off after reaching his "target" of playing in the United Kingdom by signing for Dundee United.

Now 25, Esselink has joined the Scottish Premiership club at the end of his contract with relegated Polish outfit Stal Mielec.

In his first interview with United's club website, he explained that, having come through the youth ranks with De Graafschap and having just finished his university degree, he was given the chance to join PAEEK, then in the Cypriot second tier.

"My girlfriend and I decided to go to Cyprus even though people said don't do it and I am grateful we made that decision at the time," Esselink said.

It paid off with a move to APOEL Nicosia, with whom he got a taste of Europa Conference League football.

"The step to the biggest club in Cyprus was a big one - it makes you bigger as a player," Esselink said. "But there are bigger stages than playing at APOEL.

"I did not play many minutes, but it was good to experience how much European football can mean for a club."

In addition to the chance to play in Conference League again this season, Esselink was attracted to the "history" and "warmth" he felt from Dundee United.

"When I was young, I always said I wanted to play in the UK," he said.

Esselink is not daunted by the Premiership's tough reputation given the Polish Ekstraklasa "style of play is to be aggressive".

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Dundee United have signed Bert Esselink after 25-year-old centre-half left Stal Mielec following their relegation from the Polish top flight.

United manager Jim Goodwin expects the Dutchman, who has signed a a two-year contract with a club-held option to extend for a further 12 months, to have a "transformative impact" on his defence.

"His mobility and bravery allows him to engage with the opposition higher up the pitch and the statistical data reinforces his intelligence when selecting a progressive passing option," Goodwin told United's website.

"Bert is also comfortable defending in a deeper block, using his awareness to remain compact and defend the box both on the ground and in the air."

Esselink came through De Graafschap's academy in his homeland before making his senior debut for Cypriot club PAEEK, helping the Nicosia-based club secure promotion to the top tier for the first time.

His release clause was triggered by APOEL Nicosia, but he moved to Olympiakos Nicosia in search of first-team football.

Esselink moved to Poland in 2023 and Unied say that during his two seasons with Stal he ranked among "the division's most successful duel combatants, possession winners and forward-pass completionists".

However, playing 28 times last season, 22 of them starts, he could not prevent his side dropping to the second tier after finishing 16th of 18 teams in the Ekstraklasa.

"Bert's arrival will have a transformative impact on our ability to regain possession in key areas and play on the front foot," Goodwin added.

Image source, BBC Sport

Dundee United are closing in on the signing of towering centre-back Bert Esselink, 25, after he left Polish side Stal Mielec (Courier - print edition).

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Fixture details for Dundee United's Europa League second round qualifier with UNA Strassen have been confirmed.

The first leg at Tannadice will kick off at 19:45 BST on Thursday, 24 July, with the second leg in Luxembourg taking place away from UNA's home ground.

The 2,400-capacity Stade Municipal will host the match on 31 July - kicking off at 19:00 local time (20:00 BST) - in the town of Differdange.

United say full allocations and ticket information will be confirmed in due course.

Meanwhile, the Tannadice side have signed goalkeeper Yevhenii Kucherenko, who will prove a "long-term asset" for the club, predicts manager Jim Goodwin.

The 25-year-old from Ukraine has been brought in from LNZ Cherkasy in his homeland on a two-year contract, with United holding the option of a further 12 months.

Dundee United are in talks to secure a bigger allocation of tickets for the away leg of their Conference League qualifier with Luxembourg's UNA Strassen. (Courier - subscription required), external

Read Thursday's Scottish gossip

Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin is at ease with the pace of the club's summer transfer business. (Courier - subscription required), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish gossip

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Bosnia and Herzegovina striker Said Hamulic's move to Dundee United has stalled, with the 24-year-old turning back mid-journey to Scotland, and fresh talks are being held with Toulouse in an attempt to find a solution. (Daily Record), external

Ukraine goalkeeper Yehven Kucherenko is waiting for a visa and work permit to complete his transfer to Dundee United after a fee was agreed with LNZ Cherkasy and the 25-year-old agreed personal terms. (Daily Record), external

Meshack Ubochioma is expected to leave Dundee United amid strong interest in Hungary (Courier - subscription required), external.

Read Tuesday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Dundee United are keen on a loan move for Toulouse striker Said Hamulic, once a transfer target for Celtic, talks have advanced well in recent days and the 24-year-old could arrive in Scotland as soon as this week. (The Courier), external

Read Sunday's Scottish Gossip in full.

We asked for your views on Dundee United's Scottish Premiership fixtures and how they will be faring after 10 games.

Here's what some of you said:

Kieran: Trust us to get our bogey team in recent seasons straight after our European encounter. The first 10 games look tough on paper. I think we should be hitting at least 20 points out of the possible 30 available if we apply the never-say-die attitude we were accustomed to last season.

Dylan: First place.

Thomas: The first seven fixtures are against teams who finished below us last season (bar Hibs). Hopefully get points on the board early, then take it from there before we play Old Firm. Our new guys and the team will need to start quickly. Also depends if we have more than two European games, how much shuffling of the pack will be needed. I am confident of minimum top six.

James: If United get off to a good start I say fourth - and Dundee to be bottom.

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Dundee United have signed midfielder Panutche Camara on a two-year deal, subject to clearance.

The Guinea-Bissau international, 24, leaves Crawley Town and previously played for Plymouth Argyle, Ipswich Town and Charlton Athletic.

Camara has scored 26 times in 291 club appearances and once in four international games.

"Panutche will significantly improve both the physicality and technical ability of our midfield," manager Jim Goodwin told United's website. "He is an aggressive ball winner and displays excellent composure and creativity when in possession across the park.

"His professionalism, work ethic and adaptability make him a natural fit for the culture we're building here."

And Camara said: "I've worked so hard to play in a top division - I always give everything.

"It'll be a new experience to play in Europe but that is a dream for everybody."

Opta have crunched the numbers to rank the difficulty of each Scottish Premiership club's first four fixtures of the 2025-26 season.

According to their data model, St Mirren have the toughest start, followed by two clubs helmed by new managers, Dundee and Motherwell.

As for the easiest, Hibernian and capital rivals Hearts should got off to a flier, right?

Take a look below to see where your side places...

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Aside from the first game of the season against Falkirk, all dates are subject to change as a result of broadcast and other requirements.

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See Dundee United's full fixture list here

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The first Dundee derby of the 2025-26 Scottish Premiership season will take place on Saturday, 30 August.

Jim Goodwin's side make the short walk up the street to Dens Park for a 15:00 BST kick-off.

United's first home derby in the league against Dundee will be the new year showdown on Saturday, 3 January.

Also in the festive schedule, the Tannadice men host Hibernian in their last game before Christmas then see out 2025 with trips to Aberdeen and newly-promoted Livingston.

The final Dundee derby of the pre-split season is pencilled in for Saturday, 14 March.

The Tangerines round off the pre-split campaign at home to Livi on Saturday, 11 April.

Looking the fixtures, where do you think United will be after 10 games? Tell us here.

Dundee United will travel to newly-promoted Falkirk in their opening game of the 2025-26 Scottish Premiership season.

The match will take place on Sunday, 3 August at 14:00 BST, with the Tangerines' first home fixture against Hearts on Saturday, 9 August at 15:00.

See United's Scottish Premiership fixtures in full here.

Where do you think Jim Goodwin's side will be after 10 games and what do you make of how the fixtures have fallen? Tell us here.

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We asked for your views after Dundee United were paired with UNA Strassen of Luxembourg in their Conference League second-round qualifier.

Here's what some of you said:

Gary: Couldn't have asked for a better draw. We should comfortably have too much for Strassen and it's only a short trip. Tiny stadium, will make the second leg feel like a pre-season game, so Jim Goodwin will have to make sure the boys are professional.

Kenny: We have to finish the tie in the home leg and go over to Luxembourg with a comfortable lead. We have five pre-season games to get the new faces familiar with each other. Happy with the signings so far but need more coverage. Get the cheque book out, Mark Ogren!

George: Surprised the first leg is at Tannadice since we're the seeded team but hopefully we'll prevail over the two legs. It's imperative with pre-season training starting on 19 June that key signings are made to bolster the squad over the next two weeks or so. That would allow us to get up to speed in sufficient time for the ties. It's good their season starts at the same time as ours.

Gary R: Couldn't get a better draw. Think there might be more United support over there than home fans. Their ground holds 1,500. Their first taste of Europe last year ended in a 5-0 defeat. First of all we need more signings. In Goodwin we trust.

Greg: Great to be back where the club belong in European competition, great chance to progress to the next round if we approach in the right manner. Would like to see some new signings now to strengthen the team for the big season ahead.

Marc: A few seasons ago we got into a European qualifier, sold a lot of players, lost the qualifier, then got relegated that season. I hope history doesn't repeat itself. Quality signings needed with a proven track record in domestic football.

No sooner does the season finish and we start looking forward to key dates for the next campaign - and that will be a lot easier to do on Friday when the Scottish Premiership fixtures are released.

That's right, that special day in the calendar is almost here already. The day when you'll learn details of derby fixtures, Christmas opponents and the run-in to the split.

This page will bring you all the fixtures when they drop at 09:00 BST on Friday and we'll be giving you the chance to have your say on how things look.

The new campaign kicks off on the weekend of Saturday, 2 August and will conclude on Sunday, 17 May 2026.

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Learning from European stars at Cagliari inspired new Dundee United signing Iurie Iovu to become the "passionate" player he is today.

While part of the Serie A club's academy, the defender spent time training in the first team with Italy's Euro 2020 winner Nicolo Barella, La Liga-winning centre-back Diego Godin and former Belgium midfielder Radja Nainggolan.

Moldova centre-half Iovu, who United signed from Istra 1961 on a two-year deal, did not play a senior game for the Italian side but learned a lot from the top-class trio.

"When you see these players and train with them, you improve a lot at a young age and you learn to be positive about life," said the 22-year-old, who ended last season on loan at Deportivo Alaves' B team in Spain's fourth tier.

On the type of player United fans can expect, he added: "When you are a defender, you must be passionate to make strikers scared about you so you defend well and don't concede goals."

Meanwhile, in-demand Zac Sapsford explained why he chose Tannadice as his destination this summer.

"I did have some other offers," the Australian striker, who signed from Western Sydney Wanderers, revealed.

"But I saw where this club is going. It's a really positive place to be. And for me and my career, to continue play first-team football is key.

"Hopefully I can build on the season I had last year and score more goals."

Dundee United mark their return to European football with a Conference League second-round qualifier against UNA Strassen of Luxembourg.

UNA, who finished as runners-up in their domestic league in 2024-25, are playing in Europe for just the second time after losing 5-0 on aggregate to Finnish club KuPS at the same stage last year.

The first leg is at Tannadice on 24 July, with the return taking place in Strassen the following week.

United fans, we want your thoughts on the draw. Do you fancy your team's chances of progressing? Share your views here.

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Welsh, Northern Irish and Croatian opposition are among a refined list of possibilities for Dundee United in today's (13:00 BST) Conference League draw.

Jim Goodwin's side are seeded for the second round qualifying draw, meaning their list of potential pairings is largely favourable.

Northern Irish champions Cliftonville could lie in wait if they beat St Joseph's of Gilbraltar, while Welsh side Haverfordwest County are also a possibility if they defeat Maltese outfit Floriana.

FC Vardar (North Macedonia), La Fiorita (San Marino) and UNA Strassen (Luxembourg) are other options, but perhaps the one to avoid for United is NK Varazdin, who finished fourth in the Croatian top flight last term.

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Dundee United return to European football after a two-year absence in Wednesday's Conference League second round qualifying draw.

After finishing fourth in the Premiership last term, they are looking to reach a group/league phase for the first time.

Having lost 7-1 on aggregate to AZ Alkmaar in the third round of Conference League qualifying last time, United will be glad they and the Dutch side are both seeded and therefore cannot meet at this stage.

That is one of the few certainties in the draw, with Jim Goodwin's side having more than 60 potential opponents.

Among those, Swedish sides AIK and Hammarby might be ones United would want to avoid.

Republic of Ireland duo St Patrick's Athletic and Drogheda United, Northern Ireland's Cliftonville and Dungannon Swifts, or Welsh teams Haverfordwest County and Penybont, would be classed as easier opponents.

Dundee United have targeted 25-year-old Ukrainian goalkeeper Yevhen Kucherenko, currently with LNZ Cherkasy in his homeland's top flight, and are in advanced talks with a central midfielder and another striker. (Courier - subscription required), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish gossip