Proschwitz hoping Cup exploits can earn him chance at Tigers

The big-money German striker has struggled to justify the hefty £2.6m fee paid out by the Tigers in the summer of 2012, with manager Steve Bruce admitting before the closure of the last transfer window that he may be allowed to move on after having a tough time of it in East Yorkshire.

But rather than potentially take the easy option and head elsewhere, the 26-year-old insisted he would rather stay at the club and fight for his place.

Proschwitz struggled to impress in his only previous outing of the season prior to Tuesday night’s League Cup game against Huddersfield Town – the 1-0 win in the second round of the competition at Leyton Orient.

But his performance against Town, which saw him emphatically fire home the only goal of the game to put City into the fourth round of the League Cup for the first time in 33 years, earned him a few more brownie points with the frontman aiming to use it as a springboard to propel his way into Bruce’s league plans.

It completed a productive week for Proschwitz, who was rewarded for his four-goal haul for the reserves against Rotherham United last week with a place in the travelling party for Saturday’s memorable victory at Newcastle United, although he is still to make his top-flight bow.

His next challenge is to improve on the physical aspects of the game which Bruce has challenged him to get better at to force his way firmly into the first-team picture in the league.

Looking steadfastly towards the future, Proschwitz, whose goal on Tuesday was just his sixth since moving to the club, said: “I don’t care now at what’s gone, I’m just looking at the future.

“I decided to stay and fight for my opportunity and I hope my (league) chance will come to play soon. Hopefully I can score then too.

“I came here to play in the Premier League. The first month of the season wasn’t easy for me but I don’t want to quit and I don’t want to give up.

“I’ve had a few games for the reserves, a few very good performances with loads of goals, and I’m happy that I could help the team with a goal on Tuesday.

“First-team football is where I want to be and I believe I performed quite well.”

Bruce, who has pledged to continue to rest his league regulars in the Capital One Cup, despite the Tigers being one round away from the quarter-finals – having equalled their best run ever in the competition – added: “I wanted him to go out somewhere; he didn’t go and he’s part of our 25 (man squad) and the more he plays and scores like Tuesday, then good for him.”

The Tigers boss admitted that Alex Bruce and Abdoulaye Faye both did their causes no harm whatsoever with assertive displays against the Terriers, with both battling to replace injured first-choice centre-back James Chester and make their first top-flight starts of the campaign in Saturday’s home encounter with West Ham.

Bruce’s options in the heart of defence could also include Paul McShane, who trained on Tuesday after missing last weekend’s game at St James’ Park due to hamstring injury.

He is set to train again today although the odds are on either Bruce or Faye stepping into the breach for Chester, out for up to eight weeks with a hamstring injury.

On the showings of Bruce and Faye, he added: “They were very comfortable, the two of them. They helped us get to where we are today.

“I just wish Abdoulaye was five years younger, but he is a hell of a player still.

“They are both chomping at the bit. I’ve got a really difficult decision (for Saturday). One of them will be mightily disappointed, but that’s my job.”