IT’S hardly a tale of Biblical proportion, but stories of one former non-league player’s success appears to have inspired Arbroath’s new talisman.
Sean Adarkwa, once of West Ham, revealed in the aftermath of his first senior goal that Dick Campbell had regaled him with anecdotes of Joel Nouble’s fruitful spell in Angus last season.
The similarities can’t really be ignored. Both had plied their trade in the lower echelons of the English game before coming north. Both are a handful, full of guile and off-the-ball intelligence. And both netted their maiden Arbroath goal in a 2-2 draw at Somerset Park.
"I'm very pleased to get the goal,” the 22-year-old said. "I had a good feeling I'd get score. Dick Campbell was telling me stories about another striker who scored his first goal for Arbroath at Ayr - Joel Nouble.
"A few of the boys thought I'd do the same. I had that feeling too and hopefully, in the next few games, I can get a couple more and help us win.”
Assuming the two are carbon copies would be lazy, but there’s no doubting Nouble - now a constant nightmare for Premiership defenders with his parent club Livingston - left a roadmap to follow during his own Arbroath loan spell. One Adarkwa hopes to soon tread.
"Nouble is a great example of how you can come to Scotland and make an impact,” Adarkwa continued. "He did it at Arbroath and I know if I can get my head down and believe in myself I can do well here.”
Adarkwa, who is contracted at Arbroath until the end of the season, added: "I was keen to give it a go up here. Scotland's a lovely country, it's nice and peaceful and I've been made to feel very welcome.
"Football's a funny game. When you get one goal you suddenly get the feeling you can score more.”
Meanwhile, Ayr United’s ambitions remain at the opposite end of the table to Arbroath. Saturday’s draw - which also saw Yasin Ben El-Mhann, Ben Dempsey and Sean McGinty net - kept pace with league-leaders Queen’s Park ahead of a showdown between the sides next month.
“If we don’t finish in the play offs, it’s a travesty from where we are at the moment,” said captain McGinty. “We are really positive and have been playing some good stuff.
“There is a real togetherness in the dressing room. The manager said so before the season; there is no reason we can’t win the league.
“We can really go and do something special, hopefully.”
