The former Dark Blues striker has opened up about leaving Dens Park.

Jason Cummings has told out about the Open Goal Live storm that ended his Dundee career.

After signing from Shrewsbury Town in January 2021, the 29-year-old striker scored 14 goals in 36 appearances for the Dees before making a contentious appearance on stage at the Hydro in Glasgow the following December. Less than 48 hours before Dundee’s Premiership match against Hearts, Cummings appeared in a live show hosted by famed Scottish football podcast Open Goal dressed as the Joker from the Batman blockbuster ‘The Dark Knight’.

Cummings admits to having “a few drinks” to calm his nerves before taking the stage with Graeme Souness and Paolo Di Canio, and video of the occasion instantly went viral on social media. The following morning, after arriving for training at Dens Park, the ex-Hibs striker was sent home by irate Dee boss James McPake, and his contract was terminated. Speaking on the most recent episode of Open Goal, Cummings, who is now starring and winning many titles in India, opened out about the incident and said he never intended to leave Dundee. “At the time at Dundee, I wasn’t playing, so I thought it wouldn’t be a problem,” stated the athlete.

“The next day, I went in. I was okay to train. But if I hadn’t [been on stage at the Hydro], if I had been in the audience, no one would have known. “Because everyone saw it, Jazza [James McPake] was furious. “It’s no big deal. If that had occurred in Australia or another similar location, nothing would have happened. “They all adore that stuff – off the pitch, do anything you want; as long as you play on the weekend and perform well, score, it is what it is. “When I left Dundee that time, when Jazza sent me home, my old guy called me halfway through the drive home, and he said: ‘What have you done? Have you been sent home?’

“It was in the newspaper before I even arrived home! That’s what killed me; it wasn’t in-house; it was reported in the paper that I was fired. That killed me. “I told Dundee I did not want to leave. I was pleased. I was the top scorer, had incredible training, was the finest trainer, and could fly.

“But Jazza just made up his mind, and that was that. “After that, with Australia, having two years there, then India, none of that would have happened otherwise, because I really did want to stay.” After leaving Dundee, Cumming signed with Australian club Central Coast Mariners and was included to the Socceroos’ World Cup team in 2022. After assisting the Mariners to victory in the A-League grand final in 2023, he relocated to India with Kolkata-based Mohun Bagan, where he helped lift last season’s ISL League Shield before winning the ISL grand final.

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