ZACK ELBOUZEDI came home keen to shine in a first XI — and he believes his first 11 games for St Pat’s are proving he can do it.
The winger joined the Saints in late July from AIK, searching for regular first-team football again.
He had moved to Sweden in 2021 from Lincoln City and immediately settled into life in the Allsvenskan, playing in front of big crowds.
But he did not start a game in the 2023 season and moved on loan to Swindon Town at the start of this year where he featured regularly but not always from the get-go.
And when his former Ireland Under-21 boss Stephen Kenny moved to bring him back to Dublin, Elbouzedi knew he would get his chance.
Tonight, that will continue as he faces Dundalk in his 11th appearance for the Saints in just seven weeks after a hectic European schedule.
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Elbouzedi said: “I know what I am as a player and I know what I can do on the pitch.
“The last 18 months I haven’t been able to show that for a few different reasons.
“But the gaffer before gave me a chance with the 21s and I repaid him and I think I’m doing that now.
“I have come in ready to go, fit and I always keep myself fit even when I’m not playing. I’m reaping the rewards for that now.
“I felt I could come in and hit the ground running and I feel I’m only going to get better.”
He believes that hectic schedule has helped him have a good start as he scored goals against both Vaduz and Sabah, while he provided two assists in Sunday’s win over Drogheda United.
Elbouzedi continued: “It brought us closer as a group.
“We had one day off in the whole month so we were in together every day.
“When you go away and travel with teams, you see other sides to people and grow closer to people.
“When you get that bond off the pitch it can only help you on the pitch.
“You can see that in the performances, that we’re all together and going in the same direction. We all want to achieve the same thing.
“I wasn’t here before the European run and have only come in since then so I don’t know what it was like before.
“Since I’ve been in, it’s been brilliant to settle into the club and hit the ground running and have lots of games and travel away with the team to get to know boys more and feel more settled.”
HOME COMFORTS?
But the busy schedule on the field has put everything off the field on hold, as Elbouzedi has moved back in with his family in Swords.
He said: “It’s difficult as my girlfriend and all is still away in Sweden and straight after the Vaduz game I had to fly back straight away and bring my dog back and all my stuff.
“It takes a while but honestly it’s better as I haven’t had time to think about being away from her and all that stuff.
“I only said it to my mam the other day, it feels like I haven’t been home, it’s just been go, go, go but that’s what you want as a footballer — you want to be playing in the big games.
“You don’t want days off — when you have that momentum and run going, you just want to keep it going every day, every day. It’s been brilliant.”
