Klok's ambition to make the frame

ALL ACTION . . . Athletic's new midfield man Marc Klok

SOCIAL media hero Marc Klok is delighted to go that extra mile if it means he can live his Premier League dream.

A new home in Ashton-under-Lyne is the latest port of call for the 23-year-old product of Utrecht, whose fledgling career has already taken in stints in the Scottish Highlands and on the Black Sea coast.

The midfield man's mobile phone camera has rarely been out of commission in his four-week Athletic stay to date, as the former Ross County and Cherno More player documents every aspect of life at his latest club.

A video of Connor Ripley singing 'Build Me Up Buttercup' while standing on a table at the San Carlo restaurant in Manchester and a pre-meal selfie with team-mate Cameron Burgess are among the treats served up on Klok's Twitter feed this week.

LIFESTYLE
"It is good for people outside the game to see what the lifestyle of a footballer is," said Klok, who also regularly posts on Instagram. "People think that players are fancy and of a certain type.

"I want to be open and show what I am really like. I want to give them insight into me as a player and also what I do outside of football."

Klok may enjoy being in the frame, but the sort of determination that saw him swap life in the Netherlands to chance his arm at Ross County three years ago is evident in his determined vision for success on these shores.

Only six appearances followed in 2013-14 and in order to get back to England, Klok took the unusual step of heading off to Bulgaria.

"At Ross County, I would describe the adventure as a learning process," he said. "I was 19 or 20 when I went there and things didn't work out the way I hoped they would.

"But when I look back, I'm thankful I took that step. I learned a lot, as a person as well - living on your own and making your own decisions.

"It is good at a young age having a lot of experiences in different countries.

"It has helped me as a person to grow up quickly and become a man. You are on your own and you have to survive.

"At first, Bulgaria wasn't in my plans as a young player in terms of where I wanted to be.

"Sometimes, you have to take another route that leads to your destination. I chose Bulgaria and it went well. We won two cups - the Super Cup and National Cup - and ended up playing in the Europa League.

"It was a fantastic opportunity and it went really well.

"Then I ended up here in England. It was why I chose Scotland at the time. I could have stayed at Utrecht and fought for my chance in the first team, but I had the chance to play in the SPL and I thought that if I did well as a young lad, I would end up in England more quickly.

"I ended up in Bulgaria, but because I did well, it showed you can still end up where you want to be."

A highlights reel on YouTube shows what Klok is about. All-action, his energy takes him all over the pitch and he relishes a tackle.

TWEETS

His contract initially runs for six months. If he plays as well as he tweets, though, he is headed for big things.

"I think my playing style suits the game here," Klok added. "That's why I wanted to come here. We will have to find out, but the first few weeks have gone well and the fans got to see a bit of who I am.

"For me, this is just the beginning."