Tessem was often used as a substitute striker by Strachan, while Pahars and the happily departed Agustin Delgado were beset with long term injury problems - however with Beattie, Phillips and Crouch making themselves the first choices to start games and Ormerod warming the bench, it's hard to see how Tessem can add quality to our front line. Leon Best has recently been included in first team squads on a regular basis, and pushing him down the order to give a 32 year old yet another chance at first team football would not be a particularly wise move in the long term.
If he is to be given another shot at the first team, then, it would seem that the only position for which he can compete is right midfield - where Fernandez and Telfer vie with summer signing Nilsson for the wing man spot.
As much as Tessem's loyalty and work rate have been proven beyond doubt, it remains to be seen whether the forgotten man of the first team squad can force his way beyond the bench - or compete on a par with the rest of the team, having spent the last year or so twiddling his thumbs on the sidelines.