Bilel Mohsni is aiming to repay “Scottish father” Paul Sturrock for years of support by helping his beloved Dundee United to promotion.
And despite a run of just two league wins since Christmas, the 30-year-old believes the Tangerines can still go up.
The Tunisian international admits he’s had his fair shares of downs in a roller-coaster career but many of the ups have seen “Luggy” play a significant part.
The pair first crossed paths when Sturrock signed him for Southend eight years ago and his former gaffer played a major role in subsequent moves to Rangers and now United.
Mohsni hasn’t forgotten that and is delighted he’s now getting the chance to pay back his mentor, recently appointed United’s chief scout in England and who will assist manager Csaba Laszlo as a coach for the rest of this term.
“Paul Sturrock helped me at Southend and with my move to Rangers. This great man, shall I say, is like my Scottish father,” he said.
“From the start from when I signed for Southend he helped me. First to speak English and after to settle down in England and then in Scotland.”
Mohsni revealed their close relationship is despite initial problems with the language barrier.
He understood English, just not Sturrock’s Scottish version of it.
“My first year I was like are you okay, did you go to school? He was like don’t worry you will understand. After that first year I can understand the Scottish accent easy.
“He has helped me so much and for sure I’d love to help United get promoted for him. We had a chat before I came here and he told me it’s his club, he’s loves this club.
“At Southend we came here, we played a friendly game and stayed for a week. He showed us around and told about United, I still remember that.”
Having had to watch four games while he waited for international clearance to arrive, Mohsni knows United are going through a rough patch but he believes they can turn things around.
“For sure we can get promotion. I train with them and I see them play, I know they have quality.
“They lack confidence but we have a good team and if we win games we can go on a roll.”
And Mohsni is determined to show he is not the villain he was labelled after picking up a seven-game ban for a post-match fracas after the 2015 play-off final that saw Rangers lose to Motherwell.
“I think the manager knows, and I know, I am a winner. It is a very good feeling to win games and, if he puts me in the starting XI, I will give everything for the team.”
“What happened at Rangers was a mistake but, like I have said every time, I was defending myself. I did not attack their player.
“If I received three games ban and for me this was OK, maybe four would be good, but seven when for him nothing?
“This is the past, now I am looking forward and I am very happy to be at Dundee United.”
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