MUSTAPHA DUMBUYA may already have won over the Partick Thistle support with his dynamic performances, but he says the best is yet to come.
The pacy right-back admits that it has been difficult to be away from his family since coming to Glasgow, particularly his young daughter Zaina-Marie.
With his wife and baby girl moving up to Scotland for next season though, Dumbuya says that he will be able to fully focus on matters on the field of play.
“I try to get home as often as possible and the manager is good to me that way,” he said.
“He understands that I have baby girl back home and he’s very open to talk to about the need to get home to see her.
“If I feel as though I need to go and see my daughter then I speak to him to see if it’s possible.
“Next season, my family will move to Glasgow, so everything should click into place.
“It makes things much easier if I know she’s with me at home. If she gets ill, I won’t have to head back down south to look after it. It’ll be the chance for us to put some roots down.”
Despite looking forward to the chance to shake off the aches and pains picked up over the season, Dumbuya has unfinished business before he can get onto his sun lounger.
“There are boys who have still to play for their futures," he said. "I’ve been blessed that I signed a new two-year contract back in January, but that doesn’t mean that I’m going to become complacent. There is the basis of a promising side here and that is the reason I signed.”
Meanwhile, Paul Hartley believes Dundee are a stronger force this season despite the table offering evidence to the contrary.
The Dens Park club finished sixth in their return to the top flight last year, but the 2-1 defeat at Hamilton in their last outing means they sit in seventh place and their last five games will be against bottom-half opposition.
"I think we are a much better team," he said. "Some of the football, at times, has been excellent, it is just about finding that consistency and I hope we can learn from that in terms of next season.
"Last season, we really struggled for goals, but, this season, we have been excellent with the likes of Kane Hemmings, Rory Loy, Greg Stewart, young Craig (Wighton) coming through and Gary Harkins.
"We just missed out. There were too many draws that have cost us getting into the top six, but the progress as a team and the club as a whole has taken a couple of years to get sorted.
"We made so many changes, probably more than anyone in the league."
Dundee are unbeaten against Partick Thistle in six games since returning to the Premiership, but they will travel to Glasgow with only 15 players.
Julen Etxabeguren will miss the game through suspension, Thomas Konrad is ill while midfielder Nicky Low's season is over due to an ankle injury.
Striker Rory Loy remains out with an ankle injury, left-back Daryll Meggatt and long-term absentee James McPake is still on the sidelines.
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