Clark Robertson keen to avoid more relegation heartbreak with Dundee defender out to stop rampant Hibs in their tracks

The veteran centre-half knows all about the pressures of being in a team at the wrong end of the table and is determined to avoid the drop this season

Clark Robertson already has one relegation on his CV – and is determined there won’t another.

The Dundee centre-half experienced the dreaded drop while at Rotherham United in 2021 and had another close shave last season at Israeli club Ashdod.

So the former Aberdeen defender knows only too well the pressures of being in a team at the wrong end of the table, with the Dark Blues currently sitting in 11th place in the Premiership.

However, Robertson insists Dundee can escape that perilous position and climb the league – starting against Hibs at Easter Road today.

The 31-year-old said: “I know how relegation feels and don’t want another situation like that.

“And last year at Ashdod we survived on the second last day of the season.

“It came down to a game against Hapoel Tel Aviv at their place and thankfully, we won.

“It was a pressure situation but I’ve had plenty of them in my career.

“You just have to deal with it.

“Now I want to finish this season as strongly as possible with Dundee.

We’ve got to look up now as well. That has to be a target as well for us.

“If we were to beat Hibs and other teams lose, we’re right back up there.

“We know it’s going to be difficult as Hibs have been on a good run – but they’re going to lose at some point, aren’t they? Why not against us?”

Dundee beat St Mirren 2-0 at Dens last week as Robertson made his comeback from injury alongside his former Aberdeen team-mate Joe Shaughnessy on his first game for the Dark Blues after a knee operation.

Robertson hopes their experience can prove invaluable for Dundee in the remaining games of the season.

He added: “It was rolling back the years, me and him.

“We’ve a lot of experience and hopefully can use that to drag us through the situation.”