Zak Rudden has goal No 1 of his targeted 20 this season – and he’s chasing a second on the bounce at Morton today.
The Dundee striker was open with his aim at the start of this campaign, something not many frontmen choose to do.
Pressure can build if matches go by and the goals don’t flow.
But Rudden insists that pressure is exactly what he thrives on as he bids to make it two goals in two games for Dundee for the first time.
“I always put pressure on myself and scoring at least 20 goals is my target,” he said.
“Hopefully now I have that first one, they will start to roll in.
“I spoke to the gaffer and a lot of other people about it and 20 is my goal.
“If I don’t get there, then I don’t get there but it is a massive thing for me this season.
“I got 10 last season, so I just wanted to double it.
“But there have been goals throughout the team so there is not so much pressure on me as a striker.
“It gives you confidence that goals can come from somewhere else if you’re not on your game.”
A new home
After a difficult start at Dens Park in a team struggling against the drop in the Premiership, Rudden has settled into life as a dark blue.
A fresh start for the squad and a new training facility at Gardyne Campus has helped.
Looking back at his old clubs, Rudden said: “I enjoyed my time at Thistle and I am very grateful to the manager there.
“Rangers, obviously I am thankful to the people at the club. I was there from the age of 10 all the way through to 19.
“But this is definitely a new home for me and I am enjoying my time here.
“It is one of the best changing-rooms I have ever been in to be honest, and a lot of the other boys will tell you that as well.
“The new training ground is probably what we missed last season.
“There wasn’t a base but this keeps everyone together.
“Everybody is in the same place and you see how bouncing it is – everyone is happy, everyone is enjoying it.
“It is definitely like a new home.”
‘Special touch’
Rudden will certainly feel more at home if he can rack up the goals in the coming weeks.
The poacher’s instinct served him well as he beat the Arbroath defence to a loose ball in the area to poke home his first of the season.
Manager Gary Bowyer described the goal as coming at a “poignant” moment, coming shortly after a minute’s applause rang around Dens Park in appreciation of club legend Pat Liney.
The Scotland U/21 man scored against Ton last season for Partick in a 3-0 win and he’s keen for more of the same today.
He added: “It is going to be a really hard game as we all know what Morton will be like.
“I am looking forward to it, to get back out there and score again.”
On the minute’s applause for Liney, Rudden added: “I didn’t notice (the applause) as my head was so focused during the game but I saw something on Twitter about it.
“So it was quite a special touch to the goal.”
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