Dundee’s Faissal El Bakhtaoui insists he is capable of making an impact in the Premiership after taking the big step up from League 1 this season.
The 24-year-old opened the scoring for the Dark Blues against St Johnstone at Dens on Saturday with the home side eventually running out 3-0 winners.
El Bakhtaoui, who moved to Dundee from Dunfermline this summer, admits it has taken him some time to adjust to playing in the top tier but he hopes he is now doing enough both in training and in games to persuade boss Paul Hartley he is deserving of a regular place in the team.
He said: “It was a good win and I am happy to come back into the team.
“Obviously I am delighted to score as well.
“It isn’t easy when you are a new person coming into a club.
“It is a bit difficult to adapt and I think I need more time and to work even harder in training to show the manager that I should be in the team.
“When I get a chance, I have to prove to the manager that I can do something.
“It is a big step up from League 1 to the Premiership.
“It is not the same level and I am playing against better players now.
“However, if I keep working hard, I think I can play at this level.”
Saturday’s result means Dundee are now five games unbeaten at Dens and El Bakhtaoui admitted that run is in no small part down to the work ethic Hartley instils in the players.
He said: “Every day in training, the manager tells us to concentrate, work hard and that’s what we have done at home.
“So it was good to get another win and a clean sheet as well.”
