Declan Gallagher insists one man deserves huge credit for the dramatic turnaround in Dundee United’s fortunes – boss Jim Goodwin.

The Irishman was unable to manufacture a great escape for the Terrors last season after being handed the reins at Tannadice in March.

However, after a summer of change with a raft of departures and new arrivals – including Scotland international Gallagher – United have started this campaign in fine form.

Goodwin’s men sit top of the Championship and are on a seven-game unbeaten run that has included six clean sheets.

And Gallagher believes the foundation for that success has been laid by the manager.

The centre-half admitted: “I think he just had to get his own team in.

“Dundee United were obviously struggling before the manager came in.

“They were probably low on confidence and it is difficult for a new manager to come in and change that.

“Sometimes when your luck’s not there and confidence is low, it is hard to change things.

“You just look at it now, we are on a winning run and you can see how confident everybody is on the pitch.

“That comes from the manager – he is the one who has installed that, he has brought his own players in and he has us playing the way he wants to play.

“You can see that everyone is buying into it and everybody in this changing-room is together.”

Eyebrows were raised when Goodwin accepted the job at relegation-haunted United just a few weeks after being sacked by Aberdeen.

However, Gallagher insists the 41-year-old has proved the pundits wrong, adding: “Absolutely, but I don’t know why people would say that as Dundee United is a massive club.

“He came in at a time when they were struggling but he sees this as a project where he can take the club back to where it belongs.

“His time at Aberdeen wasn’t great but his time at St Mirren before that, he was one of the best managers in Scotland.

“So he will be taking pride in the clean sheets, the wins and the confidence that is going about the place.

“He is proving a lot of people wrong just now.”

Gallagher has also played a significant part in United’s recent revival and will be at the heart of the defence against Morton at Tannadice today.

The experienced defender admits he is also enjoying being a role model for some of the younger players like 20-year-old Kai Fotheringham, who recently revealed that the centre-half had been a big help to him since coming to the club.

‘Role model responsibility’

Gallagher said: “I see myself as one of the jokers in the changing-room but now I am 32 and the oldest in there.

“So I have to take that role model responsibility on as well which is something I like to do.

“Young Kai has maybe taken it a step too far trying to copy my hairstyle! But he is a great boy who works hard every day and you saw him last Saturday with three assists against Dunfermline.

“Obviously he scored his goal the other week against Airdrie so he is flying at the moment which comes from his hard work on the training park.

“If he is saying I am a big influence on him, I take great pride in that and hopefully I can do that for all the young boys.”