SPARKY WILL FLY IN OUR STRIKEFORCE
Nicky delighted to see natural scorer McNulty add to the firepower at United
NICKY CLARK believes Dundee United have made a real statement of intent with the signing of Marc McNulty.
The Scotland international arrived on loan from Reading on deadline day for the season.
Clark is in no doubt it is a major coup for United and it shows their genuine ambition.
It will add competition to the frontline for Clark and Scotland star Lawrence Shankland but Clark knows that level of firepower is needed at a top club.
He said: “We needed another striker and Sparky has scored a lot of goals.
“He did well for Hibs last season and knows what it’s all about. It’s competition for places and you need that at a big club.
“I’m sure he will bring a lot of quality here.
“Marc has also been involved with Scotland and for us to sign him it shows what we’re doing as a club and where the board want to take the club. I’m sure he’ll come here and score a right few goals for us.”
Clark netted two of United’s six goals in a 50- minute Betfred Cup appearance at Brechin on Wednesday.
That has taken his tally for the season to five, leaving him well clear as United’s top scorer.
But Clark reckons he should have walked away from Glebe Park with the match ball.
He said: “I probably should have had a hat-trick.
“I had a chance that was just behind me and the other one the goalkeeper made a decent save with his leg.
“I’m still delighted to have scored two goals and to have won the game.
“It was a good start but overall we probably gave away too many chances, in the first half especially.
“We still scored six goals and take the positives from it. I’m up to five now but I never set targets, although I always want to score as many goals as I can.”
United are finding their feet in the Premiership but Clark is looking for them to make their mark in the domestic cups.
Next up they entertain a United legend in Jim McInally, when he takes his Peterhead team to Tannadice on Saturday.
Clark said: “It’s a competition we want to do well in and to get as far as possible.
“Over the years the club has won trophies and we want to go and continue that, in every competition we’re involved in.
“We take the Betfred Cup seriously and we move on to Peterhead on Saturday.”
It’s a club that holds happy memories for Clark, as he went there on loan from Aberdeen then signed for the Blue Toon permanently as he took his first steps in senior football.
He added: “It was a long time ago, my spell there. It was a loan deal then it became permanent.
“I loved it up there because it was my first taste of first-team football. I was playing against men and it was good for me. So I’m looking forward to it.”
United are once again without
Scotland international striker Shankland but Clark knows that will give some of their promising youngsters another chance to shine.
He said: “Lawrence has done well and deserves to be in the Scotland squad.
“But we have a lot of young boys coming through and Kai Fotheringham was another who came in and made his debut against Brechin.
“These boys have all come in this season and done great.
“It’s down to these guys to work hard and you never know – the sky’s the limit for them.”