Sometimes, it takes a step back to take a step forward. Nadir Ciftci, the enigmatic Turk who lit up the Scottish top flight before his big-money move to Celtic proved a damp squib, feels as though he is finally back in an atmosphere that is primed to bring the best out of him.
Not since he burst on to the Scottish scene at Dundee United, bagging 33 goals in two seasons with nary a dull moment in between, has he felt as much at home as he does now at Motherwell, the fourth club he has joined on loan since his move to the champions.
The first three loans didn’t exactly go to plan. A spell back in his homeland with Eskisehirspor, where he was substituted just 34 minutes into his debut, sent off on his second appearance and involved in a 30-man brawl was, on reflection, not all that bad considering what was to follow. At least he got a few goals.
He failed to find the net in two subsequent moves to Pogon Szczecin in Poland and most recently, at Plymouth Argyle under Derek Adams, but those who would be penning the obituaries for the 25-year-old’s career may soon have pause for thought.
“I wouldn’t say they have been lost years,” said Ciftci. “More just like experience. I have learned a lot in this period when I haven’t played, all the ups and downs and everything. I take it on the chin.”
Ciftci, given his recent track record and the six-game ban he received back in 2015 for biting Jim McAlister during a Dundee derby, comes with something of a reputation. But Motherwell have found a man carrying none of the baggage you might expect from the outside.
He is at ease, and convincing when he vows to give his all for a club that reminds him so much of the place where he was happiest.
“It feels like a fresh start,” he said. “It’s been right from the beginning – the manager, the club, the players.
It feels like I’ve been here for ages.
“I remember having an interview not long after I joined Dundee United,
I said it felt like a big family. I can say it is exactly the same here.
“The boys in the team, the manager, the people at the club. They make you feel welcome.”
It always helps when a player knows he has the belief of his manager behind him, a feeling Ciftci hasn’t experienced since working under Jackie McNamara at Tannadice but has once more in the shape of Fir Park boss, Stephen Robinson.
His side were in horrendous form before the winter break, with Robinson laying much of the blame at the door of his misfiring strikers. When given a chance to shine in the absence of the injured Louis Moult, they were wasteful with their opportunities. With Moult now gone, it is up to Ciftci and fellow new boy Curtis Main, to fill the void.
“I did get that impression from the start, that he believed in me,” said Ciftci. “I’m really thankful for this chance. I’ve given myself to him. I’m just going to listen to him and take all the advice he’s going to give to me. I’ll do everything he wants from me on the park and hopefully I can get the best out of myself.”
If he can do that, Motherwell, and by extension Celtic, may just have a real player on their hands.
There is little doubt the talent is there, and through his words at least, he seems determined to make the most of this chance.
His deeds will decide what his long-term future holds, with his flickering dream of making it at Celtic yet to be snuffed out.
“Everything is possible,” Ciftci concluded. “You look at some of the players at Celtic, Dedryck Boyata being an example. I am really close to him as a friend, and when Brendan Rodgers first came in he was completely out of the picture.
“Obviously, in the meantime, I am giving everything to Motherwell. This is a chance for me to prove myself again.
I can’t wait to get started.”
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