BLESSING Kaku made it clear that he has not come to England to take in the scenery.

The 26-year-old Nigerian has nothing against this green and pleasant land, it is just that he is here to develop as a footballer and force his way into Sam Allardyce's first team plans.

Nothing else matters; Kaku is so focused on becoming a success at the Reebok that he is not even thinking about regaining his place in the national squad, where he once stood proudly, shoulder to shoulder, alongside Jay-Jay Okocha.

"I've come here to work, and to assist the club," he said. "I didn't come here to see how beautiful England is. I just want to do my best and improve my career."

He started well with an impressive performance in Tuesday night's Carling Cup win at Yeovil that was best described by the manager himself, who remarked: "He covered every blade of grass."

You could ask for nothing more of a player on his debut in a country where the football is so different than what he was accustomed to in Israel, Belgium and even at international level, that it can find even the most capable of performers wanting.

But Kaku knows he has much more to do before he can convince Allardyce he is worth a place in his Premiership midfield.

"It felt great because it had been a long time since I had played 90 minutes," he said after his Yeovil yomp. "But it's not the end. I have to keep working to make sure I play in the league.

"It's going to be difficult. It's difficult to change a winning team which is playing very well at the moment. But that's not going to stop me from working hard, because one day I know my chance is going to come and, when it comes, I want to try to take it."

Kaku, who joined Wanderers from the Israeli club Ashdod just before the transfer deadline, preferred not to pass an opinion on his performance at Yeovil - not because of modesty but because he knows it is Allardyce whose judgment counts.

"I can't judge myself," he said. "I was only trying to do my best, and do what I was instructed to do. It's for the management to tell me, when we have the review, whether I was good or not.

"The game here is a very high standard and a much quicker standard than what most of us who come from Europe or abroad are used to, and we need time to adjust."

To that end, Kaku has sought advice from Okocha, his fellow countryman, who took time to adjust to the pace of the Premiership when he first arrived.

"I didn't speak to Jay-Jay before I came here, although I knew he was here. I heard he said nice things about me, so, when I came here and did my first training, I had a chance to talk to him, and he gave me some advice and told me how to play the English way and how to adapt.

"I've tried to take all his advice, hoping it will help me out."

Kaku, who first played for Nigeria four years ago and was a member of the Super Eagles' Olympic squad in Sydney, was on the verge of a move to Anderlecht from Harelbeke (Belgium) during the 1999-2000 season but a £6million price tag scared off the Champions League regulars.

He later signed for Racing Genk for around £600,000, where he was a regular until a knee injury kept him out of first team action for almost a full season.

Back to full fitness, he picked up his career in Israel, initially with Hapoel Beer Sheva, and regained his place in the international squad. But he has not featured in recent national call-ups - something he would like to remedy in the long term but, for now, happens to be low on his list of priorities.

"To tell the truth I would love to play for my country again," he said. "But what I am mostly keen about now is playing for my new team, to try to develop and grow in my career. I think I have a lot to offer but I can't just do it by sitting at home, I have to do it by working.

"My first priority now is Bolton and not the national team."