JACK HENDRY has backed midfielder Scott Allan to recover from his Ibrox no show and play a key role for Dundee this term.

The former Hibs kid received a hostile welcome from the Light Blue legions after his controversial move from Easter Road to Celtic two years ago.

But he failed to silence the home crowd as he struggled to make an impact for Neil McCann’s side.

Allan lasted just 38 minutes before he was replaced by new Dens Park recruit A-Jay Leitch-Smith and had to watch on from the sidelines as the Dees slipped to another Premiership defeat.

A late effort from Faissal El Bakhtaoui was scant consolation for McCann’s side as an Alfredo Morelos double and efforts from Josh Windass and Carlos Pena clinched a comfortable win for the Light Blues.

Dundee are bottom of the league having taken just one point from their first five top flight outings this term and are behind Kilmarnock and Partick Thistle on goal difference.

Defender Hendry had some harsh words for Allan just before he was replaced but he is confident a poor display was only a blip for the 25-year-old this term.

He said: “It is just one of those things in football at the end of the day. If the game is not going a certain way, the manager maybe decides to change it to improve the team.

“He understands that, he is a team player. He understands it totally, so he is fine with it.

“It (his words) was just about making him aware that Rangers were coming down that side quite a lot in the first spell of the game.

“I just had a quick talk to discuss his position on the pitch. That’s all it was.

“Yes [his quality will shine through this season], he has quality in abundance. That’s why he has been at the clubs he has been at.

“Hopefully we can get the best out of him at Dundee because he has loads of ability. If he is performing to his best week in and week out then it will really help the team.”