Dundee have appointed former Falkirk and Coventry City manager Steven Pressley as the Scottish Premiership club's new head coach.

The 51-year-old former Scotland centre-half last week left Brentford, where he had spent four years as the Premier League club's head of individual player development, saying it was time for a "new challenge".

Only on Sunday it emerged that Dundee had been given permission by Linfield to speak to David Healy, who had led Irish Premiership side to the sixth league title of his 10-year reign.

But Dundee say Pressley "emerged as the standout candidate" after "a thorough and comprehensive search process" to find a successor to Tony Docherty, who was sacked despite leading his side to safety from relegation on the final day of the season.

As part of a restructuring of the Dens Park football department, former St Mirren assistant David Longwell has also joined the club as technical manager, focusing on player development, having ended the season as caretaker manager with National League club Fylde.

Dundee point to Pressley's "fantastic knowledge and experience of the game", with managing director John Nelms adding that he "brings with him a shared core value of player development and a rounded approach to winning football".

Pressley was still a player with Heart of Midlothian when he took his first steps into management as caretaker for two games at the end of the 2004-05 season and became assistant to Scotland manager George Burley in February 2008.

He suffered relegation with Falkirk in his first foray into full-time management, but he then led Coventry clear of relegation in League One despite the club going into administration.

He was eventually sacked after a poor run of results and had short spells in charge of Fleetwood Town, Cypriot top-flight club Pafos and, in 2019, League Two outfit Carlisle United.

"Steven will be installing a framework that delivers on the messaging that the senior players and the development players are one effective team," Nelms told his club website.

"David comes to us with a long and productive history in the development of players both north and south of the border.

"Player development has always been at the forefront of our club and, with the amount of young emerging talent, it is important that the restructuring of the football department will emphasise this even more.

"His main role will be working alongside technical director Gordon Strachan and head coach Steven Pressley to ensure the concentrated development of the individual player. David will also have additional roles within the first team set-up."

Longwell has been academy manager with St Mirren, Orlando, New York, Shrewsbury Town and Burnley.

He was also St Mirren assistant for five months from December 2014 and filled the same position with Shrewsbury and Fylde, where he took over as caretaker manager in February as they headed for relegation.

Dundee say Pressley, who was signed as a player by Strachan when he was Celtic manager, has already started his new role despite being on a pre-planned silver wedding anniversary holiday to the far east.

When Docherty was sacked with the dust barely settling on a disappointing Premiership campaign, few Dundee fans who would have thought they would be uttering the phrase 'Elvis has entered the building' just a few weeks later.

At the time of the departure of Docherty - and his backroom staff - the club stated their intention to "restructure the football department".

Giving Pressley the title of head coach, rather than manager, and the creation of a new technical manager position definitely projects the look that things will be different going forward.

There will be some fans who will point to the fact Pressley has been away from the Scottish game for more than a decade, plus he has not held a managerial role anywhere since leaving Carlisle United six years ago.

But there can be no doubt Pressley is bringing vast experience to Dens Park.

And he will also have a knowledge of the English market, particularly with regards to some potential young talent coming through the ranks south of the border. That knowledge could prove invaluable as Dundee look to strengthen their squad.

Pressley also played under Dundee technical director Strachan at Celtic, so the ex-Scotland boss will be well aware of the qualities his former player can bring to Dens.

But this is not about the past. The success or failure of any appointment is determined by results - and ultimately that is what Pressley and co will be judged on going forward.