Emmanuel Adegboyega is not expecting a January recall from Norwich City despite his headline-grabbing displays in Dundee United’s Scottish Premiership top four tilt.

The 21-year-old centre back has started 12 of the Tangerines’ 14 league games, and notched his second goal of the campaign in a 2-0 weekend win at St Mirren that kept Jim Goodwin’s side in touch with the Old Firm.

Adegboyega’s latest display saw him named in the Scottish Premiership team-of-the-week, but the Republic of Ireland U21 international has had no indication City could look to cut short his loan to rejoin Johannes Hoff Thorup’s Championship promotion hopefuls.

The Dane sanctioned a move north of the border before the new season, after running the rule over Adegboyega in summer friendlies.

The defender is yet to make a senior appearance for the Canaries following his switch from the League of Ireland in 2023.

But Thorup indicated last week he had a decision to make this month on whether Brad Hills needs game time on loan.

Shane Duffy and Callum Doyle have been Thorup’s preferred centre back pairing in recent matches, with Jose Cordoba missing out with a knee issue and Grant Hanley down the pecking order.

“I see myself as a Dundee United player. I can’t look that far ahead (to January); we have a lot of football to play. Whatever happens, happens,” said Adegboyega, who bounced back at the weekend from being left out in the previous 1-1 away league draw at Rangers. “I don’t want to miss games. I want to play every single match.

“But if there’s a tactical decision from the gaffer, then it is what it is. I just keep working hard and looking towards the next match. That’s exactly what I did.

“The gaffer communicated with me brilliantly; he told me the reason why I missed out against Rangers – I understood his thinking – and of course I’m not happy. No player should be.

“But I always keep my head up and cheer on the team from the sidelines.”

Adegboyega did his talking on the pitch against St Mirren, sealing the hard-fought win a late close range finish.

“I’ve got my job to do, and I was delighted with how it all played out; clean sheet, on the scoresheet,” he said, interviewed by the Dundee Courier. “In a game like that – as messy as it was – it was great to get a clean sheet. The gaffer is always drumming into us, ‘As a defender, get the clean sheet first’.

“They (St Mirren) were bombarding us from the first minute to the last and, as a back three, you’ve got to stand tall. We stuck together. We have a passion for working hard and keeping the ball out of the net.

“We love defending – all the boys want to get into the battle; win tackles; win headers – and that’s what you can see on the pitch.”