Versatile Tim repays faith

Timothee Dieng

ADAPTABILITY is the name of the game for Timothee Dieng, whose settling-in period with Athletic is expiring quickly.

In the last month the versatile Frenchman has shown for his new club exactly why he was thought skilled enough to appear for Brest in Ligue 1.

The top flight across the channel is an entire culture away from the blood and thunder of a derby clash at Rochdale in League One. But Dieng (22) has developed coping mechanisms for the increase in pace he has encountered, currently excelling both at centre-back and in a holding midfield role.

His manager couldn’t be more delighted.

“I have been really pleased with Tim,” Lee Johnson said, ahead of what is likely to be Dieng’s first taste of FA Cup action agaiunst Doncaster.

“We took a chance on him because we believed in his talent. To get a player like him, who has played in the top league in France, is fantastic for us. He can play two or three positions, which again for a club like ours is important. He had to get to the pace of League One and knew it would take two or three months to get used to it. Since then he has been fantastic. Long may it continue.”

If Dieng operates in tandem with Liam Kelly once again at the base of midfield tomorrow, he will be faced with the task of combating the probing of former Athletic star Richie Wellens — a player at the opposite level of the experience spectrum.

The 34-year-old is not the only danger in an able Doncaster side, Johnson warned, on Paul Dickov’s return to the club at which he started his managerial career.

“They have got some excellent players, Johnson added. “We are under no illusions. It is going to be a tough game, but a good one.”