Amadou Bakayoko is set to go “from strength to strength” at Dundee after feeling the love at Dens Park says manager Tony Docherty.
The Sierra Leone international grabbed a brace for the Dark Blues last time out as they hammered St Mirren 4-0.
That took his tally for the season to four after joining the club on the back of a disappointing year down south.
The 27-year-old signed on loan from Forest Green Rovers after a January move from Bolton Wanderers ended with relegation and no goals for the frontman.
That was after just one league goal for Bolton.
However, the previous season he had notched 13 in all competitions and his new boss Docherty insists all the striker needed was the right platform to show what he can do.
He’s got that at Dens Park – and the goals are coming, too.
“Baka has got every attribute. Technically, he’s a very gifted player and he’s a good, good finisher,” Docherty said.
“His link-up play is fantastic as well.
“He just needed the platform, I think. And he needed the right people around him in terms of team-mates and staff.
“He is reaping the rewards from that and he’ll go from strength to strength.
“Baka had a really good pedigree. He didn’t have a good season last season but there are reasons for that.
“He’s now in a place where he feels he’s loved.
“He’s a brilliant boy around the place and he has good team-mates. The staff can’t get enough of him. He works so hard in training.
“He’s last on the training pitch, working on his finishing. And he’s getting the rewards for that.
“We feel – and he feels – he is in the right environment to really kick on and show what he’s got.
“He did that against St Mirren and we hope he does so again in the next game.”
Permanent Dundee stay?
Might his stay be made a permanent in January?
Docherty is certainly very happy with his focal point frontman but he refused to be drawn on whether there would be any movement in the winter window.
Asked if there was a chance of the loan being made permanent, Docherty replied: “We will look at the entire squad in terms of what we need to do.
“But we will deal with that down the line. At the moment, the real focus is on games and we have eight now between now and the winter break.
“Four at home and four away. But the most important is the next one against Hibs. All the other stuff will take care of itself come the right time.”
Meanwhile, former Dundee CEO Dave Mackinnon is holding a fundraising event tonight at the Logie Club to raise money for his former team-mate John MacPhail.
It gets under way at 7pm. Contact The Logie Club for details.
Mackinnon will be joined by journalists Paddy Barclay and Alan Pattullo to talk about his new book ‘Slide Tackles and Boardroom Battles’.
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