This weekend, redemption was spelled Z-A-K. In the dying embers of a feisty encounter with Tony Doc’s previous employers, Kilmarnock, ten man Dundee fashioned a last gasp equaliser courtesy of the forgotten man, Zak Rudden. The explosive celebrations in the stands were matched by the joy exhibited by the goalscorer, who has suffered through an extended barren spell and limited opportunities to impress a sceptical fanbase. In local parlance, pusses were well and truly shut. 

I could spend this week’s article bemoaning at length the referee’s performance, but there’s only so many polite words a thesaurus could provide me with and Davie Munro sending McInnes to the stands and losing his ride home on the Killie team bus is punishment enough, I suppose. Instead, let’s look a little more closely at the man who ensured a share of the spoils remained in Tayside, and consider whether his scrambled equaliser can reinvigorate his Dens Park career. 

In many ways, he had become the forgotten man at Dens - "he still with us?" being the most common reaction when discussing Dundee's forward options in the summer. Of all our players, I reckon Zak Rudden is possibly the most intriguing, certainly out of those remaining from the pre-Docherty era. When he signed a three year deal for James McPake’s side on a pre-contract in January 2022, the former Rangers youth player was riding the crest of a wave for Partick Thistle. Even then, he was Schrodinger’s striker, capable of looking like an exciting prospect and a carthorse within the same move. 

A tall, rangy, chippy striker often used to drag play up the field, Rudden possesses a poacher’s instinct and intelligent positioning, and yet can still conspire to miss what seems to be the easiest of chances.

Just 21 when he signed for Dundee, he was seen as a rough diamond ripe for polishing, should there be the right coaching and system to support him. Thistle fans were not happy to see him go, and for those of a dark blue persuasion, it was a sign of forward planning and - if the signing worked out - something of a coup. 

READ MORE: Dundee FC out to silence yo-yo club doubters in new Docherty era

Fast forward to September 2023, and it’s fair to say that Rudden has become the player most likely to spark off debate among the dark blue support. His cheerleaders, emboldened by his stoppage time equaliser against Killie, will insist he’s a confidence player in need of encouragement and not abuse from his own fans, and they have a point. The light smattering of boos and negativity that greeted his entrance as a second half substitute was as unnecessary as it was eventually returned in spades. A relatively successful pre-season return from a loan to St Johnstone that seemed to suggest his time was up at Dens also shows some grit and determination to work his way back up the pecking order. However, Rudden’s detractors do have a number of instances to highlight which question whether he has a long term future at Dens. A glaring miss at McDiarmid Park only served to exacerbate the concerns of some that Rudden’s hot streak at Thistle was a flash in the pan rather than a promise; coupled with his comments when he signed on loan for Saints, it’s enough evidence for some on the Dens jury to declare him guilty. 

Usually, I’d have to pick out the splinters and sit firmly on the fence, mainly because of the number of times I’ve been on the wrong side of history (“swapping Martin Boyle for Alex Harris is a great idea”, for example). Examining things pragmatically, though, I’d err on the side of giving Rudden plenty more chances to succeed, not least because he still has another season and a half left on his deal with us. He is one of four strikers we can play through the middle, and with injuries, suspensions and patches of form to contend with, its eminently sensible to encourage him to scrap for his place. We’ve not yet got our shooting boots fully on this season, despite creating plenty of quality chances, and perhaps a couple of starts ahead of near-namesake Zach Robinson - who has struggled a little playing in a wider position on his return to Dens - would help to nurture Rudden’s confidence. Both are still young players who should benefit from competition for that starting slot alongside Sierra Leone international Mamadou Bakayoko, who too is beginning to grow in confidence and officially opened his account for the club against Killie. 

Regardless of whether this is the start of a beautiful journey or an unfortunately brief encounter, Rudden's goal showcased an unusual feature in this Dundee side - resilience. Time and again this season, Docherty’s men have shown a fighting spirit that has undoubtedly toppled more points our way already. Perhaps that resilience percolating through the side will inspire Rudden.