Lewis Fiorini is eyeing a derby debut after joining Dundee United on loan for the rest of the season.
Fiorini, 22, has made the switch north after struggling to cement a starting berth with EFL League One side Stockport County, making 15 appearances this term.
Capped 10 times for Scotland U/21s, the Manchester City academy graduate has previously shone on loan with NAC Breda and Lincoln City, and had less impactful stints with Charlton and Blackpool.
However, boss Jim Goodwin is confident has can bring attacking nous and an ability to find the net from distance to his ranks – potentially starting with the Scottish Cup showdown against Dundee on Monday.
Goodwin told United’s official website: “Unsurprisingly, given his development at the Etihad (Manchester City), Lewis has an outstanding ability to handle the ball in difficult scenarios, and his first thought is always to play forwards.
“He has a knack for finding the back of the net from distance, and that’s something which will come in useful in several different scenarios we could find ourselves in as a team.
“I’m delighted to have a player of such quality at my disposal for the rest of the season, and both him and Ruari (Paton) have the chance to make an immediate impact in this evening’s Scottish Cup match at Dens.”
A whirlwind week
Fiorini’s arrival follows hot on the heels of Ruari Paton’s loan signing from Port Vale.
The gifted midfielder added: “As soon as I heard of the interest and spoke to the gaffer, I was keen to get up here.
“The lads have been flying so far this season, I just want to come and add some more quality into the midfield by showing my passing range, scoring goals and getting assists.
“For someone who’s still only 22 years old, I feel I’ve got some good experiences, both in football and life, behind me and that’ll help me adapt quickly.”
He added: “It’s been a bit of a whirlwind weekend – I played for Stockport on Saturday, now I’ve potentially got the opportunity to be involved in a massive fixture tonight so hopefully I can hit the ground running”
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