Taken from the Blackburn Rovers edition of our matchday programme, Jordan Botaka reflects on his start to life in West Yorkshire...

It’s almost two months now since you made the switch from Excelsior and plenty has happened in that time, not only for yourself but also for the football club. How are you settling in to life in England?

“It’s been great, I’m enjoying it to the fullest. To be honest, I didn’t think I would have settled in so quickly. I’m very happy with the way it’s gone so far. I’m enjoying everything – the place I live, the city, the club and the people. Now I just want to win games.”

You must be pleased with the amount of game time you’ve been given since joining – two starts and two thirty-minute substitute appearances in the Championship. Were you expecting to be involved as heavily as you have been so far?

“I would never do something if I didn’t feel I was ready for it. I felt I was ready to play. I came here to make a difference and I really wanted to play. I’ve played in four games now, some as a substitute and some in the starting 11. So far I’m happy to have played this much. You hear a lot of stories from players who come from other countries and they just don’t fit in when they’re new at a club. They don’t play and they can’t handle it, but I’m full of confidence and I’m happy with the time I’ve had on the pitch so far.”

Your debut at Middlesbrough wasn’t a result to remember but it was clearly a day that you will savour for a long, long time. How did it feel when you first found out you would be in the starting line-up?

“I was waiting for it because I really wanted to show the people of Leeds what I’m capable of doing. It was something special for me to play in front of so many people. I don’t have the words to describe it because it was massive. I was enjoying it to the fullest and I wanted to give the fans something back.”

Were you nervous ahead of kick-off?

“I was nervous but in a positive way – I wasn’t nervous for the game or for playing in front of all the supporters. I was actually enjoying it because I’d been waiting for it. It’s a dream for every little boy to play in such a big stadium in front of so many people. It was a dream that came true for me, I really enjoyed it.”

From your first interview with LUTV it was clear you were particularly excited to sample the Elland Road atmosphere. Having featured in two home games now, has it lived up to your expectations?

“Every time I enter the stadium and I see the supporters, my mouth just stays open. I’m just looking around like ‘wow!’ It’s something different. I’ve seen many stadiums and played against many clubs, I’ve seen many supporters but this is totally different. I don’t know why, it’s just different. Even last week when we played Fulham, we had 4,000 supporters there – it’s massive! Every time I see Elland Road packed it’s just amazing.”

And the fans seem to have taken to you pretty quickly, too...

“The fans have shown me a lot of love. I work hard to give the fans what they want, so I’m not satisfied yet because we haven’t won many matches. They’ve supported me from the first minute I entered the field. I really want to give them something back because it’s not easy for me to adapt and get into the English football, but the support they give me is helping me a lot. It makes me feel at home. For me to play at my best I need to feel at home, and the supporters are really giving me that feeling. “

Upon signing you said you expected the Championship to be a much more "physical" league to what you have been used to in Holland. Has that proved to be the case so far?

“I knew that it would be hard and very intense. I have to be professional – I think I’ve always been that in my way of living – but if I want to make a difference and play a lot of games in the Championship, I have to be even more professional. It’s things like knowing what I’m eating, what time I’m sleeping and how much rest I need to get. That’s the life of a professional in the Championship.”

You must be pleased with how quickly you are adapting to English football, though...

“I feel that I’m becoming stronger, fitter and understanding the game we play better. I always want to become a better player and improve by scoring goals and adding assists. I want to make the difference to win games because this club deserves so much more. Every time I’m on the field, here at the training ground or at the stadium, I feel like I’m becoming wiser and stronger. I hope that will continue.”

You’ve clearly been through a lot at such a young age – both in your career and personally – so just how hard have you had to work to get to where you are today?

“I’ve worked very hard for this. The people who know me know where I came from – I came from very far. A lot of people didn’t expect me to come this far and be here today. A lot of people also thought that I would just give up. I lost a very important person in my life who started this with me – my father. When he left me, things became harder than they were before. At almost every club I was at, they knew I could play and that I had the talent, I just didn’t get the chance. It was like they were holding me back so I couldn’t go forward. I kept having faith and I believed strongly in god – I kept praying and I’m here today. It’s like a miracle for me because many people didn’t believe in me. I kept on believing in myself and in god. My family supported me all the way and I’m grateful for that – I thank them a lot.”

Quite evidently, then, your family have played a huge part in your career so far...

“They’ve had a very big influence because at every club I was at and every game I played, they came to support me. When I was in Holland, my brother came all the way from Belgium just to watch me training! That shows how much he supports me – not only in games but also in training. He’s not the only one – my mother, my little brother and my sisters have all supported me since I was kid. I always say that I do this for them to make them proud, to make my father proud and to make the people proud who believed in me from the beginning.”

Since making the move to Leeds you’ve also clocked up the air miles with a couple of international games for DR Congo, including a goal against Gabon earlier this month. It’s been a bit of a hectic start for you here, hasn’t it?

“It’s been very busy, but I’m enjoying it because that’s all I dreamed of – to travel and play games for the national team and to play games for a big club like Leeds. It was a dream of mine to play for the national team and I want to make my country proud. I’ve scored twice now so that’s something that really makes me happy. I hope I can do more for my country. We’ve got a very good team. We’re all young and we all have a dream – going to the World Cup. Most of the players play in Europe so we know there is discipline and a good mentality. We all have the same vision and I think that’s very important. We talk with each other every day on the phone with WhatsApp. I think that’s a very good thing and I believe we can go far as a national team.”