Striker is happy to stick with Daly grind rather than return to England

Chief football writer

Friday 20 April 2012

JON Daly is prepared to reject any potential move to the npower Championship this summer because of his quality of life at Dundee United.

Custom byline text:

Michael Grant

The striker will almost certainly be a target for clubs in England having already scored 18 goals for United, with the club also nurturing ambitions of securing a place in Europe next season, and helped them towards a probable place in Europe next season.

It is often the case that clubs outside the Old Firm lose their key players when richer clubs come calling, but Daly offered United supporters hope he would buck that trend by remaining at Tannadice."I'm under contract, so it would have to be the right move for the club," said Daly yesterday after he was confirmed on PFA Scotland's shortlist for player of the year. "My family and myself are settled and my little one is starting school in the next year or two so I'd have to wait and see what comes around."To be honest, I don't know if the Championship would even interest me. There are a lot of games: Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday, and you don't have European football."A lot of people just look at the money and think it's great. Don't get me wrong, if someone came up with serious money you would have to consider it, but it's great to be at United and fighting for European football and trying to win cups. In the Championship, it's just a slog playing twice a week. With the injuries I've had, playing Saturday to Saturday gives you plenty of recovery time."With young United lads throwing out the performances they have, they are going to generate interest. But the boys are under contract for the next couple of years and, if we are going to sell them it'll be on the club's terms that they go. If they move, it'll be good money for the club."Daly had an unremarkable career in England with Stockport County and Hartlepool United, with loan spells at Bury and Grimsby Town, before finding the most consistent form north of the border. "I kind of lost my way when I was at Stockport and that was at the age when I needed to push on. Perhaps I should have tried to get a move beforehand because I wasn't enjoying my football there," said Daly."When I went to Hartlepool, I enjoyed it again, scored a few goals and have loved it up here. But that period between 19 and 22 saw me lose my way."After initial injury problems, the big forward has flourished to the extent that he has a chance of pulling off the impressive achievement of being top goalscorer in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League this season despite not playing for Celtic or Rangers. He is equal with Celtic's Gary Hooper, and four goals ahead of Francisco Sandaza at St Johnstone."Seeing yourself up there with the likes of Gary Hooper is a great achievement," he said. "It wasn't a target I had set at the start of the season. Perhaps I'd looked at scoring 10 goals as fast as possible and then seeing how I got on after that."The service and supply I've been getting has been fantastic, with the likes of Paul Dixon putting balls into the box and Gary [Mackay-Steven] supplying from the same side. Willo Flood does it from the right, so a lot of my goals are reliant on the right service and they've done it."Mackay-Steven and Daly's strike partner Johnny Russell have also been nominated for the PFA Scotland young player of the year. United are the only top-flight side to have three players nominated and Peter Houston believes it reflects well on everyone at the club."It is a huge achievement for the lads," said the United manager, whose side face St Johnstone tomorrow. "Whether they win it or not it's a great thing to be recognised by the guys who you have been playing against all season. It's brilliant for the lads involved and also for Dundee United because to have three players up for awards is some feat."Houston also confirmed he is in talks with John Rankin about a new deal and expects the midfielder to agree a 12-month extension to his current deal. "It is likely he will extend his deal by another year," he said."He deserves a new contract. He has played in every game this season and that tells you everything."

Commenting & Moderation

We moderate all comments on HeraldScotland on either a pre-moderated or post-moderated basis. If you're a relatively new user then your comments will be reviewed before publication and if we know you well then your comments will be subject to moderation only if other users or the moderators believe you've broken the rules, which are available here.

Moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours. Please be patient if your posts are not approved instantly.

Striker is happy to stick with Daly grind rather than return to England

Commenting & Moderation

MOST READ

SPONSORED LINKS

MOST COMMENTED