Tam Courts insists ‘maverick’ Mathew Cudjoe will be afforded every opportunity to shine for Dundee United if he continues to thrive in training.
Cudjoe, 18, entered the fray during last weekend’s 1-1 draw against Hibs, replacing Scotland international Marc McNulty after 79 minutes.
Making a long-awaited debut five months after arriving at United, he was roared onto the pitch by more than 2,000 travelling fans at Easter Road.
During a breathless cameo, the former Bayern Munich trialist fizzed one shot wide and showed a willingness to commit defenders.
Cudjoe then almost conceded a penalty after dangling a leg in front of Chris Mueller.
It would be an almighty curveball if Courts was to pitch Cudjoe into the Dundee derby cauldron on Saturday — but the teenager has given the Tangerines’ boss food for thought.
“We are more than happy to give Mathew those opportunities if he continues to merit it with his commitment to training in the background,” said Courts.
“With their support of Matthew, you can see the type of players our fans gravitate towards — you can see he has maverick qualities and individual moments.
“He is someone who is committing really well to the way we work and how we are coaching him.
“That will give him more opportunities with Dundee United’s first-team.
“He had a good time on the pitch against Hibs, with a couple of decent moments on the ball. On another day, he might have given away a penalty. So, it was an interesting introduction!”
‘A slow approach’
Cudjoe’s impact in training and popularity in the dressing room were underlined as Tannadice teammates reacted to his bow.
Tony Watt declared ‘what a talent’, while skipper Ryan Edwards simply quoted footage of the player being interviewed on Twitter, before adding emojis of a crown and the flag of Ghana.
Cudjoe has adapted admirably to his new surroundings after committing to a life-altering move away from his family last November, penning a three-year deal with United.
🇬🇭 A warm welcome to Derby Week from @CudjoeAnim#UnitedTogether pic.twitter.com/gNkBmN7ZQn
— Dundee United FC (@dundeeunitedfc) April 4, 2022
“Mathew has adjusted to life in Scotland, being away from his parents and acclimatising to the way we train in a professional environment,” continued Courts.
“The benefit we had at the start was that he went through a visa process which meant Mathew couldn’t actually play for the first-team. That meant we were able to take a slow approach with him.
“It took away the pressure to be around the senior environment.
“He was then training with the Development Squad. We scheduled a few games and ultimately — although he is still at the early part of his journey — last Saturday was a real breakthrough moment.”
