Ryan Strain identifies key change he must make as Dundee United star targets pre-season springboard

Ryan Strain does not believe Dundee United fans have yet seen him at his best.

But that’s something the determined full-back is aiming to change this season.

Strain arrived at Tannadice last summer having made himself one of St Mirren’s star men – and an Australian internationalist – over the previous two campaigns,

A nasty hamstring injury quickly derailed the 28-year-old’s hopes of getting a full pre-season under his belt with United.

In the following months, he always felt he was playing catch-up.

But after a crucial sit-down with manager Jim Goodwin towards the end of last term, Strain is ready to show everyone at Tannadice what he’s really made of.

“The manager is the one who convinced me to come here,” explained Strain, who only narrowly missed out on making the Australia squad for this month’s World Cup qualifiers against Japan and Saudi Arabia.

“Obviously I got injured early and missed the whole of pre-season really, so it’s always hard to catch up.

“The gaffer has always backed me, so as soon as I came back in I’ve been desperate to repay him.

“He’s a great manager.

“We have been changing a few times with wingers and full-backs, when it’s wing-backs it’s about getting the ball into the box.

“I had a meeting with the manager about two months ago and he told me to simplify my game and get back to what I was doing at St Mirren.”

But what had been going wrong for Strain at United?

The answer, he believes, is deceptively simple.

“I think I had been trying too hard,” Strain admits. “I think when I came back from my injury that was the case.

“You try to get your bearings again, you don’t forget what you’re good at but you try too hard and that takes away from the things that brought you success before.

“So I’ve simplified things, just getting past a man then getting the ball into the box.

“I had a few assists [late in the season] so it’s working and I feel good.

“I had six assists and four goals in my first season in Scotland, and I think I had three last season.

“I just want to get a good pre-season, get fitter over the summer and go again.”