Dene made a welcome return to the Glebe in the summer of 2018 for a third spell following an itinerant career that has seen him turn out for 13 clubs in Scotland, England and Malta. His early promise at Raith Rovers saw him snapped up by Sunderland and although he never made a first-team breakthrough on Wearside, he scored consistently on his return north of the border, including twice for City in a short stint during season 2015-16 in between prolific spells in Malta