Dundee boss Steven Pressley returning to Falkirk 'a different person and different manager'

Steven Pressley is looking forward to returning to the place where he started his management career when Dundee take on Falkirk this weekend.

The Dens Park boss left the Bairns 12 years ago and will return on Saturday as a “different manager and different person”.

Only one goal and one league place separate the sides who are both fresh off impressive wins last week.

Falkirk, who are eighth in the league, beat Motherwell 2-1 on Saturday, before ninth-placed Dundee recorded their first home win against Celtic in 37 years with a 2-0 victory over the champions.

Pressley said: “I’m very, very grateful to the club. It was my first real step into coaching and management.

“I managed there for nearly three-and-a-half years and it was a great learning experience for me.

“I really enjoyed working with the board there. I hope that I eventually built a good rapport with the support. Another great support, a hugely demanding support, but a very passionate support.

“So I’m looking forward to going back, it will be a great experience. I’ve not been back there for a very long time and I’m looking forward to it.

“I’m very, very different. A different manager, a different person.

“I think that through time and experience, through life in general, you change a lot, and I’ve changed a great deal from the manager that walked through the door at Falkirk as a very emotional young manager.

“A manager with exceptional drive and determination and very passionate with things.

“I’ve not lost a lot of those things, but I’m far more controlled in my actions now than ever before, and far more considerate and understanding, then I was a young manager and I think it’s just a natural progression and a lot of education.

“It doesn’t mean you get better results, but I would like to think I’m a more complete leader than I certainly was then.”

Falkirk are still looking to register their first home win since returning to the Premiership but made an encouraging start and currently sit ahead of Saturday’s opponents on goal difference.

Pressley, who was in the dugout the last time Falkirk were in the top-flight, said: “It’ll certainly be a tough game for us, but I’ve said to the players that one of the things that we must take with us is that they performed to an exceptional standard at the weekend.

“Our mindset at the weekend was that of an elite level.

“Now when the margins are so fine which has been the case with all our games except Aberdeen (lost 4-0), we need an elite mindset and thankfully we got it at the weekend, but we need to do that on a regular basis.”