Something about seeing Morgaro Gomis in a tangerine jersey just feels right and the veteran midfielder admits he feels at home after making his third Dundee United debut last weekend.
The 33-year-old French-born Senegalese international returned to Tannadice for the second time earlier in the January window, signing a deal until the end of the season.
Previous spells from 2007-11 and in the 2013/14 season yielded a 2010 Scottish Cup win and a fans’ favourite tag from Arabs.
So it seemed fitting the former Hearts, Motherwell and Birmingham City man made his comeback in tangerine to a hero’s welcome in their 4-0 Scottish Cup fourth-round win over Montrose at Links Park on Saturday.
He lapped up the adulation of the large travelling support, strolling through the tie looking like he’d never left.
Gomis slotted into the Terrors’ engine-room nicely and rolled back the years to help steer United to victory.
He was delighted with their afternoon’s work and can’t wait to get started helping the Tangerines push up the Championship table and on in the cup as well.
“It felt good, I felt we had a good game on Saturday and to win the game is always good but we need to look forward to the next round,” Gomis said.
“It’s still early, obviously, but everybody wants to have a good run in the cup and then, hopefully, you want to win that cup but it’s still early and we need to see what happens.
“We’ll take it game by game and take it from there I guess.
“I was just happy to be in the starting XI and the manager told me to try to do my best, to win the ball and keep it simple.
“I felt that’s what I did on Saturday and I was quite happy with my performance.
“I have a good connection with the fans and, hopefully, it can carry on like that between now and the end of the season.”
United play Ayr at Somerset Park tomorrow night and Gomis is keen to get out on the pitch and help his team to a crucial three points on his third league debut.
He accepts it will be difficult, despite the Honest Men’s drop in form, and their shock Scottish Cup exit at the hands of Junior outfit Auchinleck Talbot doesn’t change that fact.
“Every game is a tough game in this division and, obviously, we are all looking forward to the next game tomorrow,” he added.
“We have been able to rest, regroup and focus on Ayr.”
On Ayr’s loss to Auchinleck, Gomis said: “It doesn’t matter, they’ll fight for this game and they want to win every single game just like us so it should be a good game.”
Although the pull of returning to a club he loves was a massive factor in his return to the Terrors, Gomis also revealed the presence of his former Hearts manager Robbie Neilson in the Tannadice hotseat helped make his decision an even easier one after leaving Sur Club in Oman.
After just a couple of days training, Gomis’ heart was set on United.
“I terminated my contract in Oman on December 5,” said Gomis, who has made over 200 appearances in tangerine.
“A few days after I got a call from United asking to go and train with them. I went and trained then after a few days Robbie asked me what I was thinking, asking if I wanted to come back here.
“I told him if there is an opportunity then why not? I just want to do my best.
“When you know the manager and have a good relationship with him it’s easy to go and play for him again.
“For me, it was easy to come back and say yes.”
