Jim Goodwin reckons four different Dundee United players could have scooped the Championship player of the month award for October after watching Kai Fotheringham land the gong.
And the Tangerines gaffer is adamant Fotheringham must be on the radar of Scotland U21 boss Scot Gemmill.
Fotheringham, 20, was irrepressible in October, scoring three goals — including a match-winning brace against Airdrie — and claiming one assist in five appearances.
He has cemented his place on the right side of the United attack, albeit competition for places remains fierce as Mathew Cudjoe battles to reclaim his starting berth.
But Fotheringham’s form was not enough to land him a place in Gemmill’s group for the upcoming games against Belgium and Hungary.
🌟 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐨𝐲
Take a look at @KaiFotheringham in action over the past few weeks! 👇 pic.twitter.com/jBQwk4rczO
— Dundee United FC (@dundeeunitedfc) November 9, 2023
“Kai must be on the (Scotland U21) radar — I’ve no doubt about that,” said Goodwin.
“He had a terrific month of October and I’d like to think he is very close to earning that recognition because it’s something that is very important to us, as a club.
“There must be some very good players ahead of him because Kai is playing out of his skin.”
Goodwin added: “The player of the month award is great recognition for Kai — and I’m pretty sure there could have been three or four from our squad in contention for that prize.
“Glenn Middleton could feel hard done by. Kevin Holt enjoyed a great October, along with others. It has no doubt been a hard decision to choose just one of those individuals.”
Imagination and solutions
Dunfermline at East End Park are up next for United, with Goodwin’s men seeking to build on a sensational Championship record on the road; winning five of their six games, scoring 16 goals and conceding just one.
The test for United is to maintain that momentum, with Goodwin acknowledging: “Consistency — and keeping it going — is the hardest part of it, as is the case with every sport.”
On tackling that challenge, he continued: “I try to keep the message as simple as possible and not be too clever with our approach in training.
“That’s why pre-season is so important, to bed down the key principles of what to do when we are in and out of possession.
“The players know what the defensive structure looks like, while they have autonomy and freedom in the final third. We don’t want them to be robots. We want them to use their imagination and find solutions.
“At the other end, the goalkeeper and back four tend to get a lot of the credit but we put a lot of emphasis on our forward players to defend from the front.
“It has been a real collective effort and our messaging will stay the same.”
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