News: Johnny Russell returns to Tannadice
The winger is coming home.
Johnny Russell will return to Tannadice until the end of the season.
The striker’s Dundee homecoming is now a done deal after he underwent a medical in St Andrew’s, the Dispatch understands.
His return is expected to be officially announced by the club later today.
Russell, now 35, started his career at United in 2007 and has more than 100 games and 31 league goals for the club under his belt.
He left Tannadice for Derby County in 2013, before heading across the Atlantic to play for Sporting Kansas City. While stateside, he racked up 67 goals and 39 assists over 232 appearances for Sporting, which he also captained until his release from the squad in 2024.
Russell was also capped 14 times by Scotland.
The Courier reports that United expressed an interest in bringing Russell back when he was initially released from Sporting, but the winger decided to join Real Salt Late — where he played for a year before being released at the end of 2025.
Rumours of his Tannadice homecoming have been buzzing around for a couple of weeks, with Russell spotted in the attendance as United met Motherwell at Fir Park.
His return will strengthen the club’s attacking options — which have weakened in recent weeks, with Max Watters failing to find his feet after returning from injury and Zac Sapsford’s recent faded form — and add some much-needed leadership and experience to an incredibly young United squad.
In other news:
🖊️Academy graduate Sam Cleall-Harding has penned a new deal which will see him remain at Tannadice until at least 2029.
🟨 Jim Goodwin has branded the “ridiculous [penalty] decision” that went against United against Motherwell on Saturday. VAR intervened over an off-the-ball clash between Vicko Sevelj and Tawanda Maswanhise, which resulted in a yellow card for Sevelj and a penalty for Motherwell.
“It was a sucker-punch and the players didn’t deserve it,” Goodwin raged. “A decision like that really takes it out of the players – mentally, as well – after working so hard. A coming together of two players like that happens 100 times in football. However, that’s what we’re used to this season, with the way games are being refereed.”
🥅 Owen Stirton, who is now part of United’s cooperation agreement with Airdrie, has scored a penalty and earned an assist in his first two appearances for the Diamonds. Stirton effortlessly tucked away the first shot of a tense shootout in the KDM Evolution Trophy semi finals and teed up the second goal in a 3-1 victory against Greenock Morton at the weekend.
💬 Manager Jim Goodwin has gone for a walk and talk with beloved United alumni Seán Dillon to mark three years in charge at Tannadice — a feat which, after April 25th, will make him our longest serving gaffer since Jim McLean.