Midfielder Leighton Clarkson spoke to the media to preview Saturday’s trip to Dens Park to take on Dundee. RedTV subscribers can watch in full here.
“I was delighted after coming back. Being injured and not playing games is one of the worst things that can happen to a footballer, I thought I started the season well, it was an unfortunate injury. The lads were on fire, which was good to see. I just wanted to come back and do what I knew I can do.
“Rubi hasn’t shut up about his assist! He calls himself Kevin De Bruyne now. It was an excellent ball, and if he gets in that position again no doubt he will try it, so good on him. It should be the other way around, me putting on his head, but he said he saw me run and I didn’t even need to jump, I just let it head my head and it went in.
“Billy Koumetio is a guy I know well. I played with him since I was sixteen at Liverpool. He is a good centre-half, I know his qualities. I said to him when he was coming up here that the Scottish game is a good move for a lot of the English talents, and that he will play football. I am excited to see him.
“I don’t think we beat Dundee last year. They are a good team, the way they set up. They have some good players, ones we need to be wary of, but at the same time we are going down there full of confidence, and if we play our game, we can get a result.
“The team were doing well, Pape playing as a ten was scoring every game, there was a real buzz about it. I knew the Motherwell game was too soon, but we said The Spartans game was a good game to get 90 minutes into the legs, now I have done that I know I can carry that on. It was valuable for me that 90 minutes, If I only played 60 I would have had it in my head I hadn’t managed a full 90, that was my downfall when I was on loan the first season, I was coming off around the 60/70 minute with cramp, so that is something I have worked a lot on. I cramped up a little bit towards the end, but the manager said, “keep going, you will be better for it.”
“Every team goes into the game wanting to win. It doesn’t change much for us, everything we do and the way the manager wants us to be is game by game, 100% every session, and we will see where it takes us.
“We will be going to Hampden with no fear. We know who we have got now, but that a while away. It is just Dundee we are focussed on. The league is the bread and butter, so we need to be at it every game. Different teams pose different threats, and Dundee are a good side. Hopefully, we can keep the winning momentum going.
“It should be a good watch. We know they will come after us, they have had some decent results at their place. It is going to be tough, but we have over four thousand fans going down, their support is unbelievable. Hopefully they can sing for 90 minutes, and we can get the job done.
“The fans support makes a massive difference. They want to win their home games, so it will be tough, but with the backing of the fans, especially at times when we need to dig in, they will help us through that massively.
