Manny Duku has got off to a flying start with Caley Thistle and he insists they have nothing to fear as they target promotion from the Championship.
The Dutchman has scored two penalties, in pre-season wins over Clach and Forres Mechanics, to get his Highland career up and running.
With Hamilton dropping down automatically and Kilmarnock demoted via a play-off defeat against Dundee, the 28-year-old, who was with Raith Rovers last season, sees no reason why Inverness cannot be gunning for glory.
We keep going!!⚽️ https://t.co/tcOS7urx6H
— Manny Duku⚽️ (@MannyDuku) June 26, 2021
No clear favourites for the Championship
He said: “If you look at the performances of this team last season against Raith Rovers, they had the better of us and we didn’t even score against them. Everyone has now even more experience and we have a new gaffer, so I feel this team can be very competitive.
“There are no clear favourites like Hearts were last year. The title is up for grabs for anyone.
“Even if you look at the teams that came down, one is rebuilding and the other is not one that we should fear. If you start well and get some consistency then we can go on and win this league.”
Duku is brimming with confidence on and off the pitch and he revealed that a chat with John Robertson, the boss last year and now sporting director, convinced him a move north was the best one for him.
He explained: “I have settled in well. Everyone has been so welcoming from day one and you can see that on the pitch. When you feel good, you perform well.
“I played against Caley Thistle last season and since then I had a chat with John Robertson and I felt good about a move here after that. When I have a good feeling about a place or a person, I just go for it. My feeling so far has not been wrong.”
Two goals…and could have had more
Two spot-kicks from two games is a brilliant way to get going and he said: “A penalty is not as easy as everyone thinks. You still have to score them, so two goals in two games is a good way to start.
“I got my first on Wednesday after just a few minutes and I could have scored more than one on Saturday.”
Keeping goal target under wraps
Ten goals in 28 appearances for fellow Championship team Rovers caught the attention of clubs, including ICT, but he’s keeping his numbers under wraps for now.
He said: “I do have a goals target, but I’m keeping that to myself. Many things can happen. It’s about health and form and so many things.
“Team-wise, like everyone else here, is to get promotion with Inverness and take the club back to the Premiership.”
The powerful forward, whose career has largely been based in England before joining Raith in 2020, is enjoying working under new head coach Billy Dodds, with the feelgood factor showing from the training ground to the pitch.
He added: “The pre-season training is hard, but the manager is such a positive person. Everyone feeds off his positive energy. He just tells us to go on the pitch, enjoy ourselves and work hard. Pre-season is all about working hard.”
Duku reckons the physical nature of the Championship will only serve them well if they aim to complete their overall target of gaining promotion next summer.
He stressed: “The higher the standard you play, the more physical it gets. If we want to go up, we have to enjoy the physical aspect of the game.
“The Premiership won’t be an easier, so if we do the physical stuff along with the good football in this league then the results will come our way.”