Ah, let me introduce you to Josh Mulligan, a wee lad from Scotland, born on 12 November 2002 which would place him at the ripe age of 22. Mulligan, primarily a central midfielder - though God knows, these modern footballers seem to fancy themselves a jack of all trades - currently kicks a ball around for Dundee. Our Josh stands at 5ft 8in (1.75m in new money), and weighs 12st 1lb (77kg), though I'm certain that isn't after a good meal and a pint. He prefers, or possibly is assigned, the number 8 jersey. It's a highly sought-after number, or so they say.
If we're to believe the chaps over at Transfermarkt (and why wouldn't we? It's not like football is rife with speculation) young Josh's market value hovers around the €400k mark. Although with the perpetually fluctuating currency situation, that translates closer to £335k. Still, not a paltry sum for someone who spends the better part of their day kicking a lump of leather around a field. His contract with Dundee runs out on 31 May 2025, so either his agent's phone is ringing off the hook, or it's collecting dust.
In July 2017, Josh boarded the Premiership train with Dundee after presumably impressing someone in a trial. His first season, 2018 - 2019, was noteworthy for the single appearance he made. And then, like a modern-day odyssey, our hero was loaned out - first to Cove Rangers, and upon his return, to Peterhead. I will spare you the details of the number of goals scored, appearances made, or the number of times he retied his laces during these loan periods, as they are uncannily similar to his time at Dundee.
The lad does seem to fancy the League Cup, making a single start in 2024 - 2025 and ensuring his presence was felt with four additional appearances as a substitute. Whether these were strategic moves or a result of Dundee's dwindling options remains unclear. Nonetheless, Josh Mulligan is very much here, in the very centre of the beautiful, chaotic, and often perplexing world of Scottish football.
