Sam Dalby hits out after being left in limbo over transfer clause as huge Dundee Utd decision looms
Sam Dalby felt he was left in the dark over his immediate future during the January transfer window.
The Dundee United striker and Scottish Premiership's top scorer, who's been a particular thorn in Rangers' side with two goals in three games against them this season, finally received some clarity over where he will play his football in the short term last week. It follows his parent club Wrexham, co-owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, agreeing to allow him to stay on loan with Jim Goodwin's team for the remainder of the campaign.
Dalby, who has 11 goals league goals to his name, had faced weeks of uncertainty over whether he would be recalled by Wrexham as they look to boost their chances of promotion from League One. The 25-year-old admitted he was slightly relieved when Phil Parkinson opted not to use the break clause, with the player currently in red hot form and United chasing European football.
He told The Courier: “I tried not to think about it (the possibility of a recall), but it’s something that maybe, subconsciously, I have been. I literally had no idea what was happening. Wrexham didn’t really give me much of a clue.
“I’m just happy to be here. United have welcomed me with open arms; the staff, the fans and all the players have been really good to me. I know I’m definitely staying here for the rest of the season, and I can focus on every game that we’re going into.”
Dalby is out of contract with Wrexham in the summer but has been offered fresh terms by the Red Dragons to stay in North Wales. United have also expressed a desire to keep him on a permanent deal, with other suitors in Scotland and the EFL also reported to be keeping a close eye.
He notched the opener in United's 3-1 defeat to Rangers on Sunday, and insists he is not thinking about his long term plans just yet. When asked to give a timescale for a decision on his future, he said: “I would say not until the end of the season – once this season has finished.”
He added: “We’re in a good position in the league and I just want to focus game by game to help my team and try to stay this high up the table. A lot of interest at the end of the season would obviously be good but I’m not really looking at that right now.”
United are currently third in the Scottish Premiership - 13 points below Rangers in second and 23 behind table toppers Celtic - but have a strong chance of finishing in the top six come the end of the season.
Discussing the defeat against Rangers, Dalby said: “Rangers have a lot of quality in their team and, although the result was disappointing in the moment, we can definitely take some good things away from what we did on Sunday.
“It gives you plenty of confidence going into the remainder of the season that you can keep doing it, especially when you know that the league splits and it will just be games against the big boys.”
