FORMER Dundee United defender Mark Wilson is convinced his old club are getting a ‘great manager’ in Jack Ross.
Ross is in advanced talks over the post left vacant by Tam Courts’ surprise switch to Budapest Honved in Hungary and is expected to be named successor in the coming days.
The former St Mirren and Sunderland boss has been out of work since being sacked by Hibernian in December last year, despite leading the Easter Road side to the Premier Sports Cup final that month and to third and the Scottish Cup final the previous season.
And Wilson, who made more than 150 appearances for the Tangerines over two separate spells, reckons Ross would be an exciting appointment by United if they can get a deal over the line.
He said: “I think United have got an opportunity, with Jack Ross there and available. I believe they’re in talks and it’s advanced talks.
“I think he’d be a great manager for them to get in and I think United fans would be excited by that appointment.
“Most of us would agree that Jack was dealt with in a fairly harsh way at Hibs when he got to the cup final last season, and getting sacked before that.
“He still had a lot of good work to be done there.
“As a manager, I think his stock is still pretty high and he has been mentioned for every job that has come up.
“But I think he’d look at Dundee United as a sound project, with an American owner [Mark Ogren], fourth place [last season] and European football.
“It’d be a good fit for Jack Ross.”
With Hibs finishing eighth and Aberdeen back in 10th, United took advantage to seal fourth spot and qualify for Europe for the first time in a decade.
And Wilson admits Ross would have his work cut out trying to emulate those exploits next season.
The 38-year-old told Sky Sports: “You wouldn’t expect Aberdeen or Hibs to be as poor, or have as poor a finish, as they did last season.
“I think it’s an exciting league. You’ve got Kilmarnock and Derek McInnes coming up to the ranks as well, so it’s going to be difficult.
“It’ll be very difficult to improve on what Tam Courts did.
“But Jack Ross, with his resources and his contacts, especially down south, will have enough know-how to bring quality players into that United side.”
