Tam Courts has backed Caljohan Eriksson to challenge Benjamin Siegrist for the goalkeeper spot at Dundee United.
And the Tangerines head coach hopes Trevor Carson returns to Tannadice in the summer to spark a fresh scrap between the sticks.
January capture Eriksson has already spoken of his desire to push for top stopper Siegrist’s starting spot “straight away”.
Courts feels the Finnish internationalist is capable of doing exactly that.
🗣 "I want to get up and running as quick as possible, so I can perform at my best level and help the team."
📺 Exclusive full interview with goalkeeper Carljohan Eriksson is now available to view on DUTV#UnitedTogether
— Dundee United FC (@dundeeunitedfc) January 11, 2022
And he hopes to see healthy competition in the longer term too – even if out of contract Siegrist departs at the end of the season.
Courts said: “Carljohan can absolutely compete for the number one spot and push Benjy all the way.
“I think every club needs a strong goalkeeping function.
“Benjy has been the number one for quite some time. He is still in possession of the gloves and he is a guy who we rate immensely.
“He has proved time and time again that he is a top goalkeeper but Benjy will tell you this himself that goalkeepers need to be pushed and challenged.
“Carljohan is at that stage where he can challenge and they will be pushing each other all the way and that can only be beneficial to our performances on the pitch.”
At 26, Eriksson arrives at Tannadice with one cap for his native Finland to his name.
And as Courts is only to happy to explain, he also arrives with a soaring reputation after a stellar season in Sweden.
“We are really excited about Carljohan,” he said.
“It has come about after some really good work from our recruitment team. He has been on the radar for a while.
“He is the Swedish goalkeeper of the year and a player who is on an upward trajectory.
“He is at a great age, is an international player and he comes to us at the perfect time to give us real competition and to enhance our playing squad.”
🎞 Go 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬 at the Regional Performance Centre as the lads returned for their first training session of 2022 #UnitedTogether pic.twitter.com/dtUg73k6XA
— Dundee United FC (@dundeeunitedfc) January 12, 2022
The man Eriksson will have to depose to earn a start at United, Benjamin Siegrist, is into the final months of his Tannadice contract and has been linked with a pre-contract move to Rangers.
Courier Sport understands no approach has been made so far this month.
Courts, for his part, is staying relaxed about the situation, along with that of other out of contract stars like Jeando Fuchs and Ian Harkes.
“We are in a similar position with two or three other players who are approaching the last two or three months of their contracts,” he said.
“I take a lot of confidence that we have a very transparent relationship with these guys.
“Naturally, we have to be receptive to the fact that once you go into the final few months of a contract then it does cause a nervousness amongst the fanbase but I would like to think that we will always cover any vulnerability while we are still around the negotiation table.
“Beni is fit and focused and I’m sure he will make the appropriate decision at the right time for himself, whether that be the contract we have proposed or elsewhere.”
On Carson, who has joined Morcambe on loan until the end of the season, Courts revealed a desire to accommodate the Northern Irishman’s personal circumstances fed into United’s decision to allow him to leave.
But he is hopeful his absence will not become a permanent one.
Courts explained: “We had been having conversations with Trevor for some time because he has an appetite to play regularly and there was also a little personal thing that we want to be flexible with him on.
“We still hold a lot of hope that Trevor will come back and push for the number one slot in the summer because he is a top goalkeeper that we really rate and like.”
