Dundee’s on-loan forward Duffy sets sights high

[News Bot]

Dundee’s on-loan forward Michael Duffy says it’s time for the Dark Blues to start winning – and for him to begin hitting the goal trail.

Unfortunately for the Northern Irishman he won’t be able to affect anything this weekend against his parent club Celtic due to league rules.

And, despite his status as a Hoops player, he’s not been able to help his current team-mates out with any inside gen on Brendan Rodgers’ outfit in the build-up to the champions’ visit on Saturday lunchtime.

The ex-Derry City player has yet to make a first-team appearance in green and white and wasn’t able to spend much time at their Lennoxtown training centre before signing for Dundee.

He said: “I was only there a few days really before I came on loan here so I don’t really have the inside track to give the guys here unfortunately. I’ve nothing to give them!”

He’ll be looking on with interest from the sidelines, though, as he hopes to see his new team-mates pick up a surprise result against the champions.

Dundee’s start to the season hasn’t been what they were looking for and Duffy, along with the rest of the squad, knows they have to start getting points on the board and quickly.

Michael Duffy joined Dundee on loan from Celtic in the summer

He said: “It’s not been a great start but now’s the time we do need to start winning.

“We’ve got a few tough games coming up and we needed to get a result at Inverness on Saturday but didn’t.

“With Celtic coming up this week it would’ve been great to go up there and get the three points because this weekend’s game will be very, very difficult.”

In the 3-1 defeat in the Highlands, Duffy made his fourth league start of the season but wasn’t able to create as much as he would have liked against Caley Thistle.

He admitted it’s been a step up in level for him this campaign after spending last season on-loan at Championship side Alloa Athletic but is confident enough in his own ability to set himself a sizeable target for the season.

Three goals in 38 appearances for the Wasps last year wasn’t the return Duffy was looking for in his first full campaign in Scottish football after impressing Celtic scouts in Ireland enough to snap him up.

In his final year in Irish football for Derry City, Duffy notched 15 in 39 matches in all competitions — including strikes against Aberystwyth Town and Shakhtyor Salihorsk in the Europa League.

Duffy said: “I do think it’s a step up for me.

“It’s just a lot quicker, a bit more physical but I think I’ve done OK.

“Players are better, more technical and physical and the game’s very quick as well.

“I still think I could be doing a lot better but it’s only the start of the season.

“I’m hoping to get a few goals — I only got three last year.

“It was a difficult season but I’d like to push for close to 10 goals this season.

“That’s what I’m looking to do.

“The fans have been good to me, I’ve obviously missed a few games with injury recently but the time’s I’ve been playing they’ve been really good.

“I haven’t bumped into too many fans in the street, living down near Glasgow, but every time I have come across them they’ve been great with me.”

View the full article