Kai Fotheringham is confident he can carry his superb Championship form into top-flight football with Dundee United.
Fotheringham, 21, notched 15 goals and seven assists as Jim Goodwin’s men marched to the title, deservedly claiming United’s Young Player of the Year last weekend.
Despite previously shining on loan with Stirling Albion, it was the youngster’s first full season as a Terrors’ regular – and he grasped the golden opportunity with both hands.
However, Fotheringham is acutely aware that a massive step up in standard awaits; one he is ready to embrace.
He said: “I’ll take two to three weeks to completely switch off from football. It’s a long season and I think it’s important to totally blank out the game and be ready to hit the ground running when we come back in pre-season.
“Every footballer wants to play in the top league in the country and I really want to attack that challenge.
“I want to show what I can do. My aim for next year is to really prove I can have an impact in a higher league and against tougher opponents.
“Do I think I can? 100%. I believe in my ability – it’s just about being consistent within my game and showing it, week-in, week-out.”
Fotheringham revealed that hitting goal number 15 was a major target as he went into the final game of the season against Partick Thistle.
He achieved that with a clinical finish, slotting home United’s second in a 4-1 triumph last Friday evening.
It capped a magical night for a homegrown title hero, with plenty of family and friends there to enjoy the moment.
“On a personal note, I went into that last game of the season looking for that goal to take me to 15 for the season,” he recalled.
“I had a few chances in the first half, so it was a nice moment when I saw the ball hit the back of the net.
“And in front of that immense crowd, it was a special feeling. The whole night was one of the best in my career so far.”
He added: “The boys were slaughtering me for how many people I had on the pitch – about 20 family members! But it’s not every day you win a league. It was special.”
Fotheringham’s drive and determination to improve shines through when he assesses his campaign as a whole, suggesting it could have been more prolific.
He added: “There’s a bit of me still disappointed because I think I could have had 20 goals-plus from the positions I’ve got into, but I can’t complain – and want to build on that next year.
Reflecting on United’s title triumph, Fotheringham confirmed the points challenge Goodwin set for his charges earlier in the season; something alluded to during the campaign but never confirmed.
“He (Goodwin) set a point target for us this season which was 72 points,” continued Fotheringham.
“We blew through that with 75, which is one of the top points totals over the last 20 years – and this isn’t an easy league, at all.”
