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NEW Dundee United signing Patrick N’Koyi feared for his future career after feeling like he had been kidnapped by a club in Thailand this summer.
The 27-year-old left Dutch First Division outfit MVV Maastricht at the end of last season and was tempted by an offer to move to Asia.
Flying out for what he thought was a fact-finding mission to Thai top-flight side Sukhotai, the striker found himself paraded as if he had signed.
The club tried to make him play in a game and, when he was due to fly home, he found there was no flight booked.
The player, born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, reckons it was all a ploy to force him into signing a contract
It was even reported back in the Netherlands that he had penned a deal – and he was worried the ‘fake news’ would put off prospective clubs closer to home.
However, he is happy to have now sealed his immediate future with an initial one-year deal with Dundee United.
He said: “I did go to Thailand one week after we stopped our league. Nothing was organised for me and I never signed for them.
“There was a misunderstanding between the club and the manager (agent) who brought me there, who said that I was coming to sign – I was going just to have a look.
“They even had a Press conference where they wanted me to sign.
PRESSURE
“I couldn’t understand a word they were saying as their English wasn’t the best – someone was translating but even he wasn’t that good.
“I knew what they were up to. They were trying to force me and put pressure on me to sign but I said no.
“It was like they were keeping me prisoner.
“I went to have a look and almost never came back!”
He added: “It is not a problem because now because I am at Dundee United but it was a bummer when I came back home. I hadn’t signed elsewhere but everyone thought I had done so.
“It wasn’t true and maybe some clubs thought I had joined them (the Thai team).
“It was very strange.
“Everything is good and quiet now and I don’t have to stress about where I am going.”
