Mario Bilate believes his move to Dundee United can be a passport to success in British football after embarking on the “adventure” of leaving Rotterdam.
Despite being born in Moscow, the 23-year-old has never played outside his adopted home, enjoying two spells with Sparta Rotterdam either side of a stint with amateur side Xerxes DZB.
Even when Bilate’s dreams of a professional contract in football looked to be fading, he briefly attended Rotterdam University in preparation for a business career in Holland’s second-largest city.
However, he says he is finally ready to try his luck abroad even if it meant making the difficult decision leaving his friends and family behind.
Bilate explained: “This move is a big challenge for me and a massive adventure as a footballer and as a person.
“Moving to another country is something that makes the move so interesting for me, leaving my friends and my family behind to focus 100% on football.
“I have Googled Dundee and I have also spoken to Danny Buijs, who played for Kilmarnock and is a former teammate of mine, and he said it is a nice town.
“He told me it is very different from Rotterdam but I am determined to adapt and progress.”
While life in Scotland may prove a culture shock, Bilate has no doubt he will immediately thrive in the rough-and-tumble SPFL Premiership after penning a two-year deal.
He admits he has always been keen on a move to British football as he looks to showcase his pace and power, something he believes was stymied in the more technically refined surroundings of Dutch football.
And, on the back of Ryan Gauld’s move to Sporting Lisbon and persistent interest in Andy Robertson, Bilate reckons manager Jackie McNamara has already proved adept at improving young talent.
He continued: “I think the game (in Scotland) is more focused on the physical side of the game, while Dutch football is tactical and technical.
“I am a player that needs to showcase my speed and power. In Scotland I will be able to use that far more than I can in Holland.
“I have spoken with the manager and one of the things I really liked about him was that he is a young and ambitious trainer.
“He wants to make young players better and the best thing for me to do just now is to develop myself as much as possible.
“A player needs to work hard and train hard and, if you do that, then you will get the opportunity to play and show your skills. If you do that then it is only a matter of time before clubs notice you.”
Bilate has crossed swords with Nadir Ciftci during their respective spells in Holland and it is tempting to see them as rivals again for the chance to spearhead the United attack.
However, with McNamara not ruling out the possibility of playing two up front at times this season, he would rather see Ciftci as a potential strike-partner rather than rival.
Bilate continued: “I played in a friendly match against Nadir a couple of years ago, Sparta against NAC Breda.
“He played as a centre forward but I lost sight of him ever since. I won the game 2-1, I still remember!
“I don’t think I should see anyone in the squad as a rival. You need to do it together as a team. I would rather have someone standing beside me rather than in front or behind.”
Bilate played 18 minutes against FC Utrecht and, as United bring their tour of Holland to a close, he is likely to get a longer run out against NAC Breda tonight.
He added: “I need to get fit and get to know the team, the tactics and the players around me. I want to adapt as quickly as possible to get to 100% fitness.”
Meanwhile, John Souttar, who was injured in Friday’s 6-0 win over FC Winterswijk, is not as badly hurt as first feared.
The young defender was carried off after hurting an ankle in a block tackle but is expected to be fit to return in a couple of weeks.