Dundee United trialist Jiri Lenko has been sold on the club after seeing Sporting Lisbon give his potential new employers a ringing endorsement.
The Czech left-back is with the Tangerines in the Republic of Ireland and will be given another chance to earn a permanent deal when he plays against Bohemians in Dublin after featuring for half an hour against Athlone Town on Tuesday.
Manager Jackie McNamara has revealed he is likely to make a decision on Lenko after the final whistle at Dalymount Park.
Lenko, 29, whose last club was Austrian side Wiener Neustadt, would love to be kept on after being hugely impressed by the hosts of talented youngsters who remain after Gauld’s departure to Portugal.
That mega-money deal was one that really caught his imagination and he believes it has shown the Tangerines in a good light.
“The best advert for this club is Ryan Gauld,” said Lenko. “When you see him go to a club of the stature of Sporting Lisbon for £3 million you think to yourself ‘that’s an awful lot of money for such a young guy’ so he must have been special.
“That reflects brilliantly on Dundee United and I want to be part of a club that has produced players like Gauld.
“I have seen already that there are a lot of good young players here with big futures, even with Gauld having moved on.
“I think there are others who can get a big move like that but maybe not for a little while yet. It would be great to be involved in a team like that and maybe I can help them with my experience from European football.
“I think I am going to give these young players some advice and they can benefit from that. So I would be delighted if I could stay after this trial.
“I think I would enjoy being in Scotland and being part of a club like Dundee United. There is an important match on Saturday for me against Bohemians in Dublin so I hope to play well.”
United boss McNamara confirmed that Lenko will be given an opportunity against Bohs, saying: “We will see how he does on Saturday and maybe decide then.”