He has scored 13 goals in 13 games for his club but Aberdeen striker Sam Cosgrove wants to be recognised as the number one marksman in the Scottish Premiership this season.
The Dons striker finished two goals behind Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos in the race for the Premiership’s tartan boot last season but with four goals from five games so far in the league and 13 in all competition to date the Englishman has a clear target in sight.
He said: “I want to be up there again. I had the chance to go level with Morelos last season but I missed out by one goal.
“This season I want to do better, score as many goals as I can and get more than him and be the top striker.
“There is a lot of competition and a lot of goals within the top teams and if I am up and around them all then that would be a good accolade for me.
“It would be a massive achievement (for an Aberdeen striker to win). Anything that the Old Firm don’t win is an achievement.
“We all know how dominating they can be so for that accolade to come back to Pittodrie at the end of the season would be great.”
Cosgrove scored both of his side’s goals in Wednesday’s cup tie at Tynecastle before missing his spot-kick in the penalty shootout but there is little chance of the 22 year-old letting his poor penalty affect his confidence.
After all, he has experienced far more challenging times than missing a penalty following his slow start at Pittodrie.
He was sent off on his debut against Celtic and it was not until December 2018 that he really got his career going in Scotland.
He said: “It was a slow start to my career the first four or five months but after that I don’t think I could have written the script any better.
“I did worry at first because but a footballer you need that resilience and confidence in yourself, but any human being we are not unsusceptible to bad days.
“Those first or five months were tough because I wasn’t playing. I was a long way from home but the club did everything they could to make me feel welcome in every aspect from football to off the pitch. That has helped me to where I am now.”
As to how he overcame the self-doubt Cosgrove is : “I don’t think there is a single answer. You have to have confidence and resilience in yourself.
“I have always had it and sometimes it takes a hard hit but you have to keep going and believing in yourself.”
Following the midweek cup exit there is little time for Aberdeen to ponder what might have been as they had to Ibrox to face Rangers. The Dons beat Steven Gerrard’s side three times in Glasgow last season and Cosgrove hopes to continue the trend today.
He said: “There have been a lot of changes in both teams and a lot of new players have come in but we still take a lot of confidence going down there knowing that the results we had against them will still be in the back of their minds. It should be a good game.”