Leicester City Striker Heading North

(Written by Tackful Sheik)

Once again, Dundee United have been strongly linked with former Hearts striker Mark de Vries, on the strength of his past success under manager Craig Levein.

There was speculation that the 31-year-old striker was Tannadice-bound during the January transfer window, after he admitted that he would jump at the chance to team up with Levein again.

The 6ft 3in striker has claimed that his 2-and-a-half years playing under Levein at Hearts were the most enjoyable of his career, even going on to re-join Levein at Leicester City in June 2005.

"If the gaffer was wanting to sign me I would be more than willing to go to Dundee United," admitted De Vries after Levein took over as Tannadice boss last November.

"I'm not going to lie - in the four years I worked under him I never once turned up to training thinking, I'm not going to play for this man."

"I obviously know him very well and I think the football he is going to play at Dundee United will work. The style of football he plays suits me as well so I would like to play under him again."

Netherlands born De Vries has recently been playing in his home-land, after Leicester City loaned him out to ADO Den Haag for most of the season.

Now, Dundee United have been given the green light to bring De Vries to Tannadice, after Leicester City announced today that both Mark De Vries and goalkeeper Rab Douglas have been transfer listed by the English Championship side.

"I have informed both of them that they have been made available for transfer with immediate effect and that it would be in their best interests to get themselves another club," announced Foxes' manager Martin Allen.

However, the last time De Vries was linked with Tannadice, manager Craig Levein didn't even know anything about it.

"I knew nothing about this until I read what Mark was saying this morning and I have not spoken to him," said Levein after the initial speculation that a signing was imminent.

"It's obviously been a case of someone putting two and two together and giving him a call because you can see we need more strikers here and I do think a target man would give us a different option."

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