Finlay Robertson hopes his loan spell at Cove Rangers can get him back to the player who broke through at Dundee.
The teenager made his mark as a 16-year-old in the Championship under manager James McPake, being thrust into first-team action in the 2019-20 season.
However he started just two games last season as the Dark Blues returned to the top flight and saw an ankle injury end his season early.
Robertson started for the first time since joining Cove in the 3-1 win over Alloa Athletic on Saturday, having joined on loan prior to the deadline at the end of September.
Robertson is pleased to be afforded the opportunity by Cove and hopes he can bring the quality which saw him emerge as a prodigious youngster.
He said: “It was good to get back playing – it’s been a while. I’ve really enjoyed it and the boys are good.
“I didn’t know what to expect having never been on loan before. But the boys have been brand new and the gaffer and assistant manager have been really welcoming.
“They want me to go express myself and play my game, get back to what I was doing before. Hopefully I can keep putting in decent performances and helping the team win games.
“I’m a young boy and want to play as much as I can. The opportunity to come here has allowed me to do that.
“It’s been frustrating. I got injured in March and it’s taken a bit to come back from that.
“I’ve probably not been myself on the pitch – I’ve not done what I was doing in the past. Hopefully this can help me get back to that.
“You want to feel confident. I feel really fit and Tam (Ritchie, fitness coach) is so good with the sports science stuff. He gives us all the tools to go out and do it on the pitch.”
First minutes with the boys. Enjoyable ✅ https://t.co/sVzJeLqXzM
— Finlay Robertson (@Finlayroberts0n) September 25, 2021
Robertson faces competition for games in the Cove midfield. He started alongside former Ross County and Caley Thistle regular Iain Vigurs on Saturday, while Connor Scully and Fraser Fyvie – last season’s regular pairing – were on the bench.
He is just 18 but feels he has gained a significant amount of experience since his breakthrough at Dens Park.
Robertson added: “I’ve been playing first-team football since I was 16 years old. It’s almost three years now.
“I don’t really see myself as a young kid anymore. I’ve got to be on it and if I’m not, I’ll rightly be told.
“All the senior players were saying ‘you need to get playing games’ and if the opportunity comes, I have to take it. That’s what I’ve tried to do so far.
“Paul Hartley was the gaffer at Dundee and I trained a couple of times with the first-team. When I found out the option was there I jumped at it.”
