Johnny Russell is better placed than most to appreciate team-mate Scott Robertson’s heartache at missing out on Dundee United’s Europa League qualifiers.
Robertson has been ruled out of both legs of the clash with Polish side Slask Wroclaw after injuring his ankle in a pre-season friendly at Forfar at the weekend.
It’s exactly the same position the young striker was in this time last year, when a freak training ground injury kept him out of the glamour clash with AEK Athens.
Now Russell would love to help United progress to the money-spinning groups stages of the competition so Scotland midfielder Robertson can get a taste of Euro action.
He said, “It’s terrible for Scotty and I know just how he feels.
“So I’m devastated for him. Hopefully he can get back as quickly as possible as he’s a big player for us.”
Russell was forced to watch from the stands at Tannadice and in Athens when the Tangerines suffered a narrow aggregate defeat, and the experience remains etched in his memory.
Since then he’s become a fans’ favourite and a first-team regular, and he now wants to play a starring role in this latest European adventure.Appetite whettedRussell said, “I remember well all the build-up to Athens last year.
“They were a quality team, very good technically, and I would have loved to have pitted my wits against them, but it wasn’t to be.”
He added, “I’m expecting Slask to be on a par with AEK when you look at the fact they’ve finished second in the Polish league and have a host of internationalists in their ranks.
“Looking back, that experience whetted my appetite to go and be involved in European competition as much as possible.
“Now we’ve got a chance to do so, it’s something I want to try to grasp with both hands.”
United head for Oban on Saturday for a pre-season mini-tournament, and Russell insisted the players are already in peak condition following a gruelling programme as tough as anything former boss Craig Levein put them through.
He said, “It’s been great getting the friendlies under our belt to sharpen up but nothing matches the competitive stuff.
“What we’ve done already this pre-season has probably been as hard as Craig Levein’s, to be honest.
“The gaffer’s been putting us through our paces every day so all the lads are exceptionally fit.”‘No egos’Meanwhile, boss Peter Houston has praised his players for putting the greater good ahead of personal preference.
Given United’s dearth of fit midfield players, Willo Flood is being lined up for a central role against the Poles instead of his usual wide position.
“Willo has slotted back in fine and I have been delighted with both him and John Rankin in the middle of the park,” said Houston.
“Willo is very adaptable and I can play him in the middle or on the right. That is an important factor, given the numbers we have.”
He added, “There are no egos here and the players are all willing to muck in and play different positions.
“We have them in midfield and at the back with the likes of Sean Dillon and Paul Dixon, who have both played in the middle.”
Meanwhile, German striker Andis Shala is set to join FC Ingolstadt following the expiration of his Dundee United contract.
The 22-year-old has impressed on trial with the Bundesliga 2 outfit and his performance in the 6-1 win over Wehen Weisbaden this week looks to have sealed his move.
Ingolstadt will be hoping for a better goals return from the man who netted just twice in the SPL in three years at Tannadice.
Shala was signed by Craig Levein from VFR Mannheim.