Ola Adeyemo is desperate to put a frustrating year to bed by grasping his chance with Cove Rangers.
Striker Adeyemo had been without a club since leaving Wexford last year and has been affected by a ruptured Achilles, which kept him out of the game.
However, a connection with Cove assistant Gordon Young, who he worked with briefly at Dundee United, got his foot in the door and he impressed enough to earn a short-term deal.
He has been on the bench against Peterhead and Montrose and Adeyemo is itching for a chance to show what he can do.
He said: “It’s been a tough couple of years, with injuries and not playing. But I’m buzzing to be at this club, a club that’s ambitious, has a good manager and a setup that’s amazing.
✍️ We are delighted to confirm the signing of former Watford, Dundee United and East Fife striker Ola Adeyemo.
The 26-year-old, who was born in Nigeria but raised in London and Dublin, has agreed a deal until January and will wear the number 17 shirt.
𝙒𝙚𝙡𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚, 𝙊𝙡𝙖 🤝
— Cove Rangers FC (@CoveRangersFC) September 9, 2021
“I’m very thankful to Paul Hartley and Gordon Young for giving me the chance to prove myself in training. Hopefully I can break into the team and get some minutes.
“I was at Dundee United and Gordon came in just before I left. Through my agent, he contacted them and they told me to come in so they could have a look at me.
“Every footballer wants to go somewhere and settle, to just get your head down and work hard. I’ve worked extremely hard to get myself fit and strong again and obviously I’ve got the rewards, by getting the opportunity from the gaffer to come in here and try make an impression.
“I feel good and I feel strong. Every session I do I’m getting better. I’m staying up here for the duration of my deal and I’ll see what happens after that. I just want to keep my head down, rather than travelling up and down.
“A couple of days a week, on a Monday, Wednesday or a Friday when they’re not training, I’ll do some technical and finishing stuff (with Hartley) to help get my sharpness back. That’s really helped me.”
Adeyemo was handed his senior debut by Jackie McNamara against Kilmarnock in October 2014, in a team that included Stuart Armstrong and Gary Mackay-Steven.
He made 12 appearances for East Fife in a loan spell later that season without scoring a goal and was released by United in December 2015.
After a trial with Premier League side Watford, he spent a year in their under-21 side, before moving to Norwegian lower-league outfit Valdres. Adeyemo had spells in the English non-league with Walton Casuals and Lewes before playing four games for League of Ireland side Wexford in 2020.
“I enjoyed it under Jackie McNamara at Dundee United. I went on loan to East Fife and I was young then – that was my first taste of first-team football and it was tough,” he said.
“It’s all part of the journey. I’ve been high, at big clubs like Dundee United and Watford. I’ve seen the high end of football, but I’ve seen the lower side of it as well.
“I’ve learned a lot. Football down there in the lower leagues is tough, it’s fighting and battling every week. I’ve learned from both experiences.”
Adeyemo was born in Nigeria but grew up in Dublin, playing youth football for UCD. His younger brother Jordan plays as a striker for Drogheda United in Ireland.
He added: “We push each other and motivate each other. He’s doing well at Drogheda.
“I obviously haven’t been playing, but I’ve been checking his scores and watching his games, giving him a hand when I can.”