With his side having failed to score in 11 of their last 15 Premier League matches, Hull boss Steve Bruce was desperate to add some firepower in the January transfer window. Just minutes before the transfer deadline, the Tigers were able to secure the signing of Lokomotiv Moscow striker Dame N’Doye for a reported fee of £3m.
The 29-year-old Senegal international arrives at the KC on a two-and-a-half-year deal and his new manager is clearly delighted with the last-minute acquisition:
“He will undoubtedly strengthen our squad and add a significant goal threat. You don’t see much of the Russian league but I’ve seen Senegal play a few times. He’s been a member of their team for the last couple of years and for years I’ve taken notice of that Senegal team. I think a lot of managers have taken notice of the African teams. Out of all the players who have been imported, the African players have made a huge success of it. Physically, they have all the attributes to play in the Premier League. I’m delighted to have completed the signing of Dame and I’m looking forward to seeing him in action for us.”
THE HISTORY
Born in Thies, Senegal, N’Doye began his career in his homeland for Jeanne d’Arc in 2003, where he played for three seasons before signing for Qatari side Al-Sadd. A year later he moved to Portuguese team Academica de Coimbra, where he made 25 appearances, scoring four goals.
In the 2007/08 season, N’Doye plied his trade for Greek side Panathinaikos, netting three times in 23 appearances. The striker was then on the move again, scoring seven goals in 15 matches for OFI Crete before signing with Danish side FC Copenhagen in January 2009. The powerful forward enjoyed his most prolific spell in Denmark, scoring 82 goals in 150 appearances in all competitions. During the 2010/11 season, N’Doye scored twice in the Champions League group stage to help Copenhagen become the first Danish side to qualify for the last 16, where they were subsequently knocked out by Chelsea.
In the summer of 2012, N’Doye joined Russian side Lokomotiv Moscow, where he settled quickly, scoring seven goals in the 2012/13 season. During his time is Russia, he scored 27 goals in 68 appearances.
N’Doye made his debut for Senegal in a friendly against Gabon in November 2010 and has clocked up 34 caps for his country, scoring nine goals. He featured in all three of Senegal’s matches in this year’s Africa Cup of Nations, but failed to find the back of the net.
THE PROSPECTS
Having scoured the transfer market for a striker, Bruce will no doubt be relieved to have brought N’Doye to the club. Club record signing Abel Hernandez has found it hard to adjust to English football and after scoring three times in his first five appearances, has failed to net since Gameweek 8. Fellow forward Nikica Jelavic has found the net six times, though like Hernandez, has struggled in recent months and scored just twice since Gameweek 7.
Given that Hull have only notched 21 times – the second-worst record in the top flight – it’s clear that Bruce needs to quickly address his side’s toils in the final third. The addition of N’Doye, who is known for his aerial ability, should allow Bruce to roll out a two-man frontline on a more regular basis, either in a 4-4-2 or 3-5-2, with injuries all too often blighting his plans – the Hull manager has only been able to start Jelavic and Hernandez up front together on seven occasions.
Handed a sub appearance at the Etihad last Saturday, N’Doye could be in line to start tomorrow’s crucial home clash against Villa as Bruce looks to build on that morale-boosting draw at City. Indeed, that showdown with Paul Lambert’s side sparks the start of a superb run over the upcoming five (AVL, QPR, sto, SUN, lei), which could well define Hull’s season.
Coming in at 5.5 in the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) game, N’Doye could become an interesting prospect if he can hit the ground running and take advantage of that schedule. Certainly, there are plenty of strong options in the budget forward bracket, with Harry Kane becoming a “must have” in most people’s 15-man squads and Jermain Defoe also staking a claim, but with Danny Ings’ fixtures taking a turn for the worse and Charlie Austin injured, N’Doye may be an outside bet as a cut-price alternative in our short-term plans.
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