Dundee United’s Patrick N’Koyi insists the club’s fans will soon see exactly what he is capable of after what has been a frustrating start to his career at Tannadice because of niggling injuries.
The 27-year-old striker was snapped up by Tangerines boss Ray McKinnon at the end of June but he has struggled to make an impact with first-team opportunities limited.
However, his manager revealed on Thursday that he has been very impressed by N’Koyi in training recently and he will be putting him on from the start in tonight’s Irn-Bru Cup tie against Northern Irish outfit Linfield with the striker looking to add to his three-goal tally from earlier rounds.
N’Koyi, who started his career in Holland for FC Eindhoven, said: “I am still heading towards full fitness but I wouldn’t say I was there yet.
“The manager is right to say I’m getting there. So that’s a compliment.
“I’ve been training full on for the past week and a half and I feel very strong.
“I feel good in my skin, like never before.
“I’m getting to know the guys as well who I play with. So that’s nice.
“It can take time especially when you’ve been out for a wee while with injuries and stuff like that.”
N’Koyi added: “It’s been a very poor start for me at the club.
“But I hope now that everything is left behind I can move on and go from strength to strength.
“I want to continue on the good foot, as they say in Holland.
“It’s always nice to score as a striker and it would be nice to do so against Linfield this weekend.
“It’s good for any striker’s confidence level.
“I want to show the gaffer he can count on me.”
N’Koyi admitted he is desperate to show the United support exactly what he is capable of.
He said: “You always want to perform as well as you can for yourself first and foremost, but also for the supporters to show them what you can do.
“They hear things about you and see glimpses so I want to let them see the best of me on a regular basis.
“Hopefully that is all to come.”
N’Koyi, who was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo but brought up in the Netherlands, speaks perfect English but he admits that sometimes what his team-mates are saying is lost in translation.
He added: “It is quite hard because the likes of James Keatings and Mark Durnan are from Glasgow.
“They talk really quickly and I struggle to understand them.
“I have to ask them to talk slower and then I can understand – although it still takes a while to process.
“But there is a good atmosphere in the dressing-room.”
