New Peterhead signing Rico Quitongo is keen to get back to enjoying football after a “confusing” period in his career.
Quitongo, who has joined Peterhead on a deal until the end of the season, had asked to leave previous club Airdrieonians after the fall-out of an investigation into claims he was racially abused by a fan earlier this season.
He was left out of the team for six weeks and only played three more times before leaving for the Blue Toon in January.
The 22-year-old revealed Simon Ferry had a role to play in him moving to Balmoor and hopes it is a chance for a fresh start.
Quitongo said: “I want to worry about my football. I’ve had quite a confusing six months, but that’s nothing to do with my performances.
“Hopefully at Peterhead I can go worry about my performances, rather than things off-the-park.
“I’m still only 22, but I’ve played this league for the last three years. If I can pass my knowledge on to young Flynn Duffy or Ryan Duncan, that’s what I’ll do.
Happy to get this done and be back playing my football 👏🏽⚽️ https://t.co/XSuz9CEoEv
— rico quitongo (@15ricoquitongo) January 24, 2022
“It’s been great settling in. I know a lot of the Glasgow-based boys so it was nothing new coming into. Since day one the boys have been welcoming.
“The manager is old school and that’s what I like. It was Si (Ferry) who first got in contact with me and laid out how he (McInally) wanted to play, what he thought of me and what I could improve on.”
He left a team chasing promotion in Airdrieonians for one desperate to get into the top half of the table.
Quitongo feels getting involved in the play-offs is not beyond Peterhead after being impressed by what he has seen in the squad.
He added: “You look at Clyde who are a point from the play-offs. We’re a game behind them and the gap is five points. It’s nothing that’s away from us.
“It’s a talented young team. I was taken aback, because I’ve not played Peterhead this season, but at training there’s a lot of talented, technical players.
“We defended well on Saturday and, as long as we’re playing well, the goals will come.”
Quitongo made his Blue Toon debut from the bench on Saturday in the draw with East Fife, which keeps his new club in seventh spot.
He added: “If it was from the bench or from the start it doesn’t bother me, as long as I was on the park.
“I think I can contribute and I showed little flashes, but, as the weeks go on, hopefully I can improve my attacking threats and defending to show the boys what I can do.”