DUNDEE manager James McPake insists he has not been surprised to see Leigh Griffiths hit the ground running after sealing a switch to Dens Park on a season-long loan on deadline day - adding that the 31-year-old is a more rounded forward now than he was during the early stages of his career.

McPake and Griffiths played alongside each other at Livingston initially, where the latter was handed his senior debut, before going on to reunite at Hibernian later in their careers.

The Dundee boss says he is enjoying coaching his old friend, as opposed to playing alongside him, and McPake admits he views the forward as a more complete player - in large part due to the coaching he has received.

Glasgow Times:

"He is scoring a lot of goals on the training pitch, that is a given," McPake said. "In the bounce game he got a goal, which wasn't a surprise - it was his first touch.

"I am enjoying working with him. I only knew him as a player in the same team and now coaching him I see how he has developed his game, which is excellent.

"You don't have the career he has had without learning.

"He has worked with people like Brendan Rodgers, Gordon Strachan and Neil Lennon, some really good managers and all those managers have made him a more rounded player.

"At Hibs he was just a really serious goalscorer, a good player, but now I think he can take the ball in and do a lot more than when at Hibs when there were parts of his game he needed to develop.

Glasgow Times:

"He has developed them and that's why he has played for his country and won so many titles at Celtic.

"It is good working with him and seeing that."