Dylan Levitt left Dundee United for Hibernian 'to get back in Wales squad'
- Published
Dylan Levitt spent two years at Tannadice
Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin says Dylan Levitt felt he had to leave this summer to reignite his international career with Wales.
The 22-year-old midfielder, who has 13 caps, was sold to Hibernian this week.
It means he will remain in the Scottish top flight rather than drop to the Championship with relegated United.
"Dylan came to see us during the summer and basically told us that he wanted to play at the highest level possible," Goodwin revealed.
"He has got aspirations of getting back into the Welsh national team and he didn't feel he could do that playing in the Scottish Championship. He was very respectful about the way that he went about it and, from my point of view as a manager, when a player comes and makes that kind of noise then it is very difficult to hold them here against their will."
Goodwin, though, thinks the transfer fee United received from Hibs "is a very respectable one and I think all parties are quite relaxed now about the situation".
Veteran former Scotland striker Steven Fletcher also left as a free agent, but Goodwin insists there is "no ill-feeling" or frustration about losing two key players.
"In the short period of time that I have worked with them, I have to say they both been really good professionals, went about their business in the right manner," he said. "But we need players who want to be here, it is as simple as that, and I believe we have got a group of players here at the moment who are fully committed to the cause."
One of those is Tony Watt, who is recovering from the injury that ended his season on loan at St Mirren, and Goodwin hopes the striker can prove as crucial as Lawrence Shankland did in United's last promotion season.
"He is only a little over seven weeks post-op, so the recommendation from the surgeon was around about 10-12 weeks, but we think that Tony is ahead of that to be honest," the manager said. "He was worked extremely hard during the summer - he has had very little break.
"He has been in doing his rehab with the physios and the sports science team and he is in a good place mentally and physically."