John Utaka insists Portsmouth fans have not yet seen the best of him as he comes to the end of his first season in the Premier League.The Nigeria striker arrived at Fratton Park last summer in a £7million transfer from French club Stade Rennes but he has scored just five goals.
The 26-year-old lines up against Blackburn at Fratton Park on Sunday after he returned from a hamstring injury to score in Sunday's disappointing 3-1 defeat at Manchester City.
Utaka knows he needs to produce some consistent performances in the last three league games to nail down a place in boss Harry Redknapp's FA Cup final team to face Cardiff on May 17.
Utaka missed the semi-final win at Wembley over West Brom through injury and admits: "The fans here have not seen the best of me yet. This season has been a learning exercise, just as I expected. Next season will be a lot brighter from me, that I promise.
"I wasn't fit for the semi final but I was there cheering the team and I saw how wide the pitch was at Wembley. I thought it would suit me very well if I could make it for the final."
Utaka has scored five goals in 28 starts in England after playing for leading clubs Racing Lens and Rennes in France, which followed a spell in Egypt with Ismaily, where he became a cult hero because of his pace and finishing.
Yet he admits: "The first thing about playing in England I remember was at Derby having to stop and catch my breath and ask myself, 'just what exactly is going on here?'
"It was that fast - although I think I've become more used to that and the more physical style now - and far different from in France and Egypt.
"We've done well as a team, especially our great away record this season.
But what has been disappointing for me personally is that there have been times when I have tried to do something and knew the ability was there to do it but for some reason it didn't work.
"I look at the videos of matches and my performances and still can't find the full answer but I'm very hopeful it will come with more experience. I'm feeling very good at the moment and ready to do well.
"It was a disappointing match to come back to at Manchester City last week. It was a strange game when we gave away two goals early on and then had a red card for Hermann (Hreidarsson) before half-time.
"Many other games are different and we have done well.
"Hopefully against Blackburn we will make it like that again - and the same against Cardiff."
He added: "I'm not surprised Portsmouth have been successful because, when I signed in the summer, I saw there were top players like Sol (Campbell), Kanu and David James here.
"Man City were interested in me and were signing a lot of good overseas players but once I had spoken to Kanu about Portsmouth, and how good it is here, I knew where to go."
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