The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
United’s new boy keen to make an impact
Durnan confident he can fill the boots of departing Fojut
New Dundee United defender Mark Durnan is hoping to make fans forget all about Jarek Fojut.
As Durnan completed his switch from Queen of the South to the Tangerines in a three-year deal worth £40,000 to the Doonhamers, it was confirmed by manager Jackie McNamara that Fojut’s time at Tannadice is over and he has returned to Poland.
Fojut leaves big boots to fill but Durnan is confident he can step up to Premiership level after a good season in the Championship with the Dumfries men.
Durnan said: “I saw him a few times last year and he looked pretty solid.
“I think it will be a loss for the club and the supporters but I am hoping I can come in, get myself in the team and do well and ensure he isn’t missed too much. I just have to establish myself.
“You can’t look too far ahead so the main thing for me just now is to just get the pre-season behind me, work hard and get to know the boys. Then we will see what the season brings.”
United fought off Ross County and Motherwell to snap up Durnan and the player is looking to improve under McNamara’s management.
“It’s an attractive club to come to, a really big, top-six side,” he said. “United make cup finals on a regular basis and it was an easy decision in the end for me.
“The manager does have a reputation for improving players and that, of course, was another big factor for me.”
His new boss McNamara welcomed him to the club, saying: “Mark is one that we had watched a number of times and we liked what we saw.
“There was no secret that central defence was an area we were looking to strengthen. “He ticks all the boxes for us. “He is strong in defence but he also scores a few goals in the opposition box.
“Having met him prior to this and spoken to him a fair bit, his hunger and desire to reach the top was clear.
“He sees this club as the best place for him to make progress as a player.
“He is still very young – only 22 – but he has played a good number of games.
“So that’s a good combination of youth and experience.”
McNamara confirmed fans won’t see Fojut again, saying: “Yeah. It’s been apparent for a number of months, from speaking to the lad, that his wife hadn’t settled. Football is great but family comes first.”