By Graeme Dey

DUNDEE UNITED acquisition Pavels Mihadjuks sampled the Champions League and Europa Cup with FK Ventspils last year—now he is targeting another crack at that level with United, even though he has only signed on at Tannadice until the summer.

Mihadjuks (29), who will make his Tangerines debut against Hamilton tonight, got through two Champions League qualifying rounds with his Latvian club before they were ousted from the competition by FC Zurich and went on to tackle Hertha Berlin, Heerenveen and Sporting Lisbon in the Europa League.

That has simply whetted his appetite.

“Playing against teams like those I faced in Europe with Ventspils was a fantastic experience. I would love to help Dundee United qualify for European football next season,” he said.

“I believe this team are good enough to play in Europe—we just have to make it happen. Dundee United have a lot to play for in the league and in the cup.

“I am here for six months initially but the manager has told me that if I do well then I can maybe stay longer.

“This is effectively a trial for me and I hope it ends with me being still being at the club next season and we have European games to look forward to.”

Mihadjuks was a signing target for Dundee but the Dark Blues dropped their interest in him last month when an international friendly between Latvia and Korea in Malaga got in the way of plans to take the player to Dens.

But the defender reckons things have worked out fine for him in the end.

“This is a great opportunity for me,” he said.

“I loved playing in the SPL with Inverness so the chance to come back to Scotland was one I would always have taken—especially joining a big club who are doing very well at the top end of the league.

“I spoke to Dundee about going there but it did not happen in the end.

“I went on holiday and when I came back my agent told me Dundee no longer wanted to sign me. I don’t know why that was and maybe the Dundee fans won’t be happy with me.

“But I am a United player now and that is all that I am concerned about.”

United moved for Mihadjuks on Sunday after Paul Dixon joined their lengthy list of defensive absentees.

“With Lee Wilkie, Andy Webster, Paul Dixon and Mihael Kovacevic all out at the moment and our being unable to recall Keith Watson from his loan at East Fife, we’ve only got three defenders so I needed to bring someone in,” said boss Peter Houston.

“We have two boys here in Craig Hill and Ross Smith who are good young players. But they need time to develop and it wouldn’t be right to pitch them in at the moment.

“They’ll get their chance eventually but we needed someone now and Pav fits the bill. I was impressed with him at Inverness and think he can do a job for us. Although Inverness went down last season he stood out in their team.

“He’s an internationalist, was a free agent and therefore available despite the window closing, and has attributes I like.

“He’s here to the end of the season but I’ve told him it could be extended longer than that if he likes the club and he shows us he’s up to playing week in week out in the SPL.

“Andy Webster will be going back to Rangers at the end of the season so we’ll need at least one defender then.”

Mihadjuks will be thrown straight in against Accies this evening.

“Pav played against Korea in Spain on January 22 so he’s had some football,” said Houston.

“Because of the Latvian season being finished he’s had time off, so he’s not 100% match fit and could tire—but needs must.”

United have Garry Kenneth, Jon Daly and David Goodwillie all carrying knocks and Craig Conway nursing a cold but all four are expected to for the Tangerines, who Houston admits are facing a difficult 90 minutes.

“In recent weeks we’ve played Falkirk and Kilmarnock who were desperate for points and Hamilton will be no different,” he said.

“They may not be winning games at the moment but they only ever seem to lose by the odd goal—and they are horrible to play against because they make things so difficult for you.”