FORMER Cork City player Ricardo Dinanga would be open to the idea of going on loan in order to help the 20-year-old develop his game.

Dinanga, who joined English Championship side Coventry City last July, is happy with how his time has been at the Sky Blues but admits that he would be willing to go on loan if the club believed it would help progress his career.

“I’ve been enjoying it over here. It took a bit of adjusting at the beginning but I feel settled now.

“I’ve been happy with how things have developed. I was close to being in the first-team squad a few weeks back, so that has given me a lot of confidence that I must be doing something right and has motivated me to get into the team.

“I believe the manager, Mark Robins, is pleased with how I am doing with the club. I’ve been training with the first team a lot. I was nearly with them every day in November but with the important games over the past few weeks with the U23s, he felt that it was important that the U23s trained together,” Dinanga said.

“I think it would be naive of me to be against the idea of going on loan next month. It’s great playing at U23 level but I often hear players speak about the benefits of playing men’s football and it would definitely be something I would not be against.

“But that is up to the club I suppose. Whatever they feel is the best way to help me develop I would agree with.

“I suppose, I’m sort of in a similar situation to that that I was in during my time at City. I had to be patient at the beginning with City and wait for my opportunity. When you get your chance in the first team you have to make an impression.

“The only difference here is that there are so many players that are waiting for their opportunity and that’s not just U23 players.

“You have to think about the first-team players that aren’t in the starting 11. They are waiting for their turn in the team, so there is so much competition.”

Having been at the club over seven months, Dinanga did find it difficult to adjust to the speed of the game, playing in a variety of positions and also life away from the training ground.

The former College Corinthians schoolboy player struggled to adapt to his new social life at the start but having family close by has helped him settle.

It was tough at the beginning trying to get used to not having friends and family around.

“I’m currently living in digs which does help because I’m living with other players in a team and the people that look after us are very helpful, but it’s still not the same as being with your family.

“I’m lucky that my aunt lives in Birmingham so I can go over to her house on my days off and I really appreciate all that she has done for me. But, I do miss home.

“This would have been my first Christmas away from home but I was fortunate that we had a few days off during Christmas and I got to go home and see my family for it.

“The U23 league stops for a few weeks over Christmas, but as everyone knows the first-team don’t get the luxury of having Christmas off and are in nearly every day.

ADAPTING

“I had to get used to the speed of the game here as well but I feel I have become accustomed to that now.

“What has been tough; is playing in different positions. We do tend to change formation because when first-team players play in U23 games the manager wants them to play in the positions they do in the first team which means we change formation to replicate what the first-team do.

“I’ve been playing wing-back, as a number 10 and as a striker. It can be difficult to adjust to on occasions because you want to play in a settled position so that then you can focus on what that role entails.

“When you play in different positions it’s tough having to change the way you play in each game but I also see the advantage of that because it develops your game and gives you a better understanding of what each position is about and makes you more of a team player."