'I can only skyrocket from here': Djenairo Daniels relishing Kilmarnock move

Djenairo Daniels has found his love of football again and hopes Kilmarnock can “skyrocket” his career.

The 23-year-old Dutch striker signed a two-year deal with the Ayrshire club following a short spell at League of Ireland club Cork City where he regained his confidence and scoring touch with five goals in 12 appearances.

Daniels has also had spells with Icelandic side Fram Reykjavik, Leixoes in Portugal and Canadian Premier League side Pacific FC, but he sees Killie as the launchpad for his future.

Ahead of the Premier Sports Cup opener against Brora Rangers on Saturday, he said: “Before that (Cork) I had no club for a long amount of time.

“I tried to find the love of football again and then Cork came with a short stay, a brief stay because of two injured players they had and I took that chance.

“Even when I had no club, I kept training every day, six days a week.

“So I never gave up, but in my head I was like, f**k, it’s just not going that well for me. Things came, but were not the things that gave me the feeling that ‘I have to go there’.

“I went to teams and it was short stays and not playing. And that kind of lowered the confidence in myself, but my family and my agent and the people behind me, they kept giving me the energy that I needed to keep going.

“I was just waiting and waiting and waiting, waiting and waiting, and then Cork came, and then I got the confidence back because I scored goals, I played a lot, and I think that was the most important thing, to play a lot of games.

“This step gave me the love again. I know that I can do it, so I just need to go harder and harder every day.

“I know that Virgil van Dijk played for Celtic, I know the Scottish league is not a small league. It’s a big league, and they’re just going at it like same as in England. And I like that kind of football.

“The manager (Stuart Kettlewell) just told me that I will fit Killie’s plans and that I can only skyrocket from here.

“That was the most important for me, someone that gave me the confidence and he gave me the confidence that I needed. He showed me that he really wanted me.

“I think from here I can skyrocket and I have the confidence in that. So it’s just for me to play and show the Scottish League what I’m about.

“They will see a player that works 110 per cent every game, every day, work for the team and give everything on the pitch and leave everything on the pitch.”