Sapsford delivers for United in Dundee derby
Zac Sapsford starred in many Sydney A-League derby games, and is now a derby hero for Scottish club Dundee Utd
From his earliest years scoring goals for Hakoah FC to regularly finding the back of the net in the A-League from late 2022 to early 2025, striker Zac Sapsford has always risen to the occasion in the most important games.
He made a knack of scoring goals for the Wanderers against the Sky Blues in almost every Sydney derby and now he is continuing that trend overseas, for Scottish Premier League club Dundee United, who signed him on a multi-year contract in June.
Last Sunday, in round three of the season, away to crosstown neighbours Dundee FC – whose stadium is only a few hundred metres away from their own – Sapsford drew on the energy of the capacity and highly vocal crowd, to produce yet another “derby” goal.
Latching onto a centring pass close to, but at a diagonal angle to, the goal mouth, Sapsford made no mistake when calmly beating the keeper with a neat finish in the 14th minute to get his side in front.
Photo: Liam Chester/SportPix/Sipa USA,
via AAP
The 2-0 win was secured in the 77th minute, via teammate Ivan Dolcek’s boot and moved the men in tangerine to fourth place on the ladder, ready to face Hiberian next on September 14.
In an interview at the next training session, posted on the club’s website, Sapsford said, “I think all derbies bring out the best in a player and especially me!
“I love the atmosphere and the fans screaming at you – I mean good or bad – and I think it just brings the best out.
“And I love giving it a bit to the away fans.
“As a striker, you practise certain movements and for chances that you might get in a game, so to really execute that on a game day is a nice feeling.
“And it [having 2000 Dundee United fans cheering in the away stand] does make it easier.
“The fans were really good – they didn’t stop singing the whole game.”
Dundee United coach Jim Goodwin revealed that he nearly didn’t select Sapsford for the Dundee derby, only because he had been dealing with an ankle injury sustained a fortnight earlier in a UEFA Conference League qualification match against Rapid Vienna.
“He was only 70 per cent fit, but I picked him,” Goodwin said.
“He’s a terrific character who has had a great start to his Dundee United career and the fans love his energy.”