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Jim Goodwin, who was capped by Ireland in 2002, is currently in charge at Alloa Athletic. INPHO/PA
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Ex-Irish international in the running for Dundee manager's job alongside Strachan

Jim Goodwin’s stock has risen after he steered Alloa Athletic to safety in the Scottish Championship.

WATERFORD NATIVE JIM Goodwin is among the leading contenders for the vacant managerial role at Dundee.

According to the BBC, the current Alloa Athletic manager has been interviewed for the job as Dundee begin the search for Jim McIntyre’s successor.

The club parted company with McIntyre following their recent relegation from the Scottish Premiership.

Should Goodwin be appointed, he could work alongside former Celtic and Scotland manager Gordon Strachan, who is in talks about a role as technical director at Dens Park.

Goodwin’s stock has risen after he managed to steer Alloa Athletic — the only part-time club in the Scottish Championship — away from relegation in their first season back in the division. He was subsequently shortlisted for the PFA Scotland Manager of the Year award.

The 37-year-old took charge of Alloa in October 2016 after Jack Ross, the current Sunderland manager, left to take over at St Mirren. Goodwin brought the club back to the second tier of Scottish football via success in last season’s League One play-offs.

Alloa chairman Mike Mulraney said recently that he won’t stand in Goodwin’s way if an offer from a bigger club materialises. 

“He will go on at some stage and leave our club,” Mulraney told BBC Scotland. “I’m never surprised to lose my managers. We’ve got a track record of losing managers and almost always for the right reasons. I never get too worried about it. 

“People say he’s learning here, but I don’t think he’s learning, I think he has learned. He is the finished article. I’m sure there will be many people looking at him and thinking he has done an amazing job.”

Goodwin began his playing career at Celtic, before going on to represent several English clubs including Scunthorpe United and Huddersfield Town.

He returned to Scotland in 2010 and, following a brief stint at Hamilton Academical, the defender spent five seasons at St Mirren, who he captained to League Cup success at Hampden Park at the expense of Hearts in 2013.

A former Ireland U21 skipper, Goodwin was also a member of Brian Kerr’s U16 squad that won the European Championship in 1998. He was capped at senior level in a friendly against Finland in 2002.

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