Djite relishes return to action

When Bruce Djite joined his Qantas Socceroos teammates in camp last June, he had just completed a successful debut season in Turkey and a World Cup spot beckoned.

When Bruce Djite joined his Qantas Socceroos teammates in camp last June, he had just completed a successful debut season in Turkey and a World Cup spot beckoned.

However it has taken Djite seven months to start his next match. That happened last weekend when he started for Diyarbakispor in their scoreless draw away to Ankaragucu.

No goals but Djite was thrilled to get 89 minutes under his belt with the club he has just joined on loan from Ankara-based Genclerbirligi.

“It-s good to get back into it and get that feeling of soreness,-- said Djite, who was restricted to late substitute appearances in the first half of the season with Genclerbirligi.

“I feel good, I haven-t had any injuries for a while, I just need match fitness.--

Djite, who saw fellow Qantas Socceroos James Troisi (Kayserispor) and Mile Jedinak (Antalyaspor) depart Genclerbirligi at the start of the season, said the loan move made sense ahead of South Africa 2010.

Like Jedinak (also a loan deal), Djite is likely to return to Ankara at the end of the season, but for now he-s focused on lifting his new club up the table and adding some much-needed firepower to the third-lowest scoring team in the Super Lig.

“The coach showed a lot of interest in me and he felt I could help the team so I thought it would be a good move,-- said Djite, whose team scores less than a goal a game.

“I think it will be a great experience. They have fantastic fans and there-s always an electric atmosphere.

“There was some interest from Europe, but nothing concrete. And playing in the same league make it an easier transition - there was no guarantees that I would be starting but they were enthusiastic about me coming here.--

Djite-s made no secret of the fact that he-s eager to clinch a spot in Pim Verbeek-s 23-man World Cup squad, and hopes this move to Diyarbakirspor, in Turkey-s south-east, will pave the way.

“It was all about game time. I wasn-t getting enough and I needed to get more and Pim made that very clear to me if I was any chance of going (to South Africa), so that-s why I started searching,-- he said.

“I-ve heard it 1000 times before, a player just doesn-t get a look in, but it-s the first time it-s happened to me. It-s just frustrating, when you don-t even start, coming on with 10 minutes to go, it-s hard to do something that-s going to force the coach-s hand.

“It-s hard to push your case when you-re coming off the bench late in the matches. You-ve got to do something spectacular and I-m not that sort of player, I-m the type who holds the ball up and feeds off the playmakers.

“And when you don-t play every week it-s hard to get into any sort of rhythm.

“My coach (at Genclerbirligi) was good with it, very understanding, there was no real objection. I-ve got another season there and it-s a short term thing, I-m here for four months and the aim is to score as many goals as I can and get back into the starting eleven.--

And Djite will be hoping for another start at the weekend when Diyarbakirspor hosts sixth-placed Trabzonspor.