Lee Wilkie is desperate to help Dundee United secure European football after heartache in recent seasons.
United stopper keen to make up for recent disappointment
Lee Wilkie is desperate to help Dundee United secure European football next season after late heartache in recent seasons.
The Terrors finished eight points adrift of third-placed Aberdeen in the 2007/08 campaign while they missed out on goal difference to the Dons last time around.
United have made a positive start to the new season despite a slight dip in form of late, however, the experienced defender is confident Craig Levein's troops can finish the job.
The Tannadice outfit currently lie fourth in the table just four points adrift of leaders Celtic, and Wilkie is hopeful of returning to winning ways when struggling Hamilton come to town this weekend.
"I think most home games should be must-win games," he told
skysports.com. "Even against the Old Firm in the past two years we've played really well at home.
"When you look at your home games you've got to expect to win them. It doesn't matter who it's against.
"It's going to be hard to go through the season playing consistently well every week. I think the main thing for us is to try and minimise how poor we play and concentrate on playing well."
Strong finish
Wilkie insists European football has been the target in recent seasons and that his team-mates are desperate to put their recent disappointment behind them by crossing the finishing line strongly.
"The past two years we've obviously let ourselves down quite badly in the last quarter of the season with not picking up the vital points when it comes down to the crunch.
"(Europe's) something we've been aiming for the past two or three years. We've just missed out in previous seasons so I think that's made us even hungrier to get that European spot.
"We've started off well this season, well certainly better than last season. I think it's just down to consistency and trying to keep that going throughout the season.
"We're going have bad patches, but as long as we're minimising them and grinding out results when we're not playing well then we'll get those extra vital points."
The former Dundee stopper committed his future to United earlier this year by penning a three-year contract and he does not believe he will change clubs again before hanging up his playing boots.
When asked if Wilkie sees himself finishing his career at Tannadice, he replied: "Yes definitely.
"I signed a three-year deal then and that was because I was enjoying my time there and I wanted to stay there for a good few years and I thought the club were going places.
"I'm getting on. I'm 29 years old now so I think three more years and with my knee injury that could be me finishing then. I think I'll probably end my career at United."
Soldiering on
Wilkie has had to overcome a spate of injuries over his career and he concedes he continues to nurse along his right knee in order to ensure he remains fit and available to give his best for the club.
The 29-year-old has won 11 caps for his country and, despite calling time on international football in late in 2007, he maintains that he would be open to donning the Scotland jersey again if required by George Burley.
"I've always said I wanted to be playing for Dundee United first and foremost. That was my main concern at that time. I think that's still the same.
"I've got to manage my knee in the right way. If that means just concentrating on Dundee United every Saturday then that's what it takes.
"If I got called up for Scotland it would be a huge bonus, but just now it's all about playing for Dundee United and keeping myself fit. If anything extra like a Scotland comes along then perfect, but I'm not focusing on that at all.
"I don't think (the injury) will ever be behind me. It's just something that I've got to manage myself. Something I've got to try and deal with.
"I've got to deal with my knee slightly differently to a player who's never had problems. I've just got to manage my knee so I can continue playing basically.
"From the start of this season I've been training every day as much as I can to get as fit as I can. Hopefully that continues. If I do need to start cutting it back then fair enough but at the moment I'm managing to train as much as the rest of the boys."
