HAMILTON ACCIES new French front man Joel Thomas has admitted he is determined to make a sudden impact at New Douglas Park.

The 21-year-old negotiated a contract release clause from German Bundesliga Two side Kaiserslautern so he could ply his trade in the UK.

And after failing to gain a deal at Premiership side Wigan, he pitched up at Accies where he was snapped up by Billy Reid.

And now as he hopes one day to engineer a return to the Premiership, Thomas is a man on a mission.

The striker said: "With Kaiserslautern it was very frustrating for me. When I went there the coach, Kjetil Rekdal who signed me, really wanted me. Then I was injured and out for a while and when I came back there was a new coach, Milan Sasic, who had taken over in February. He did not want me. After that I decided that I wanted to come to Britain and play and experience a new game and a new culture.

"So I went on trial at Wigan and although I felt I did well they have some very good strikers down there like Henry Camara and Emile Heskey. So it was always going to be very tough for me to win a place in their first team.

"The manager Steve Bruce was honest with me and said I would need to be patient and I thought it was best to try my chances somewhere else.

"I am 21 now and all I want is to be playing every week and that is why I have come to Hamilton. My dream is to play in the Premiership one day and hopefully if I can become a first-team player for the Accies and do well for them then maybe that chance will come back for me."

Looking razor sharp in his Accies debut against Liverpool in Wednesday night's friendly Thomas notched a superb headed goal to open his Hamilton account immediately.

And the Frenchman has taken a fillip from his debut goal. He said: "It was really good to get the second-half against Liverpool on Wednesday and I felt I did not bad. I have still to get a lot of match sharpness back but getting the goal did my confidence a lot of good."

The Frenchman plainly has no concerns over the physicality of the Scottish game as he eyes an SPL debut at Kilmarnock today.

Thomas said; "I don't have a problem with the style of football in Scotland. I know it is a bit more physical than I have been used to. I have discovered that already in my training sessions but I am over six foot so it is not a problem for me.

"What matters is that the players at Hamilton are passionate about the club and doing well for the Accies. We have a lot of young boys who have come through the system here just like I did at Girondins Bordeaux so they have Accies in their hearts."

Thomas added: "I am not surprised Accies have started so well although I know that people are maybe surprised that Accies are top after two games and have won them both.

"The promoted clubs are always the ones that people think will go straight back down but we have so many hungry young players who are not scared of the SPL.

"I think that makes us very dangerous for the other teams."