PRINCE BUABEN will start the new season tonight at Tannadice and hope it finishes with a dream trip to South Africa for the World Cup finals.

Buaben, now fighting fit after fully recovering from the malaria that marred his summer, will be a key component in Dundee United’s midfield when they face Hearts in their SPL campaign curtain-raiser.

Should he continue to make his mark for the Tangerines in the months ahead, he is looking to be involved for his country, Ghana, as they strive to qualify for football’s greatest show on earth.

They currently sit proudly atop African preliminary group D after winning away at Mali and Sudan, and confidence was boosted further last midweek in London when they chalked up a 4-1 friendly victory over Zambia.

So Buaben is hoping to combine success for club and country, starting with this evening’s clash against the Jam Tarts.

“It would be absolutely amazing for me were I to make it to the World Cup finals next summer with Ghana,” he said.

“I have come such a long way in a short space of time and there are occasions when I have to almost pinch myself when I think of my career.

“It is every player’s dream to play at such a huge event.

“We had a game against Zambia last week for which I was selected but obviously I didn’t go with the new season about to start for United.

“As things stand, we have quite a good chance of qualifying and if we did it would be unbelievable for me and for Ghana.

“I know I have to play as well as I can for my club, first and foremost. So it will be a really big season for me.

“I want to keep on improving personally and to help United taste as much success as possible.

“From a personal point of view, I want to consolidate my place in the team and then start scoring some more goals from midfield.

“I look to (Ghana and Chelsea star) Michael Essien as the perfect example for me to follow.

“I like the way he gets into the box in scoring positions, so by watching him do that I think it can help me do the same.

“Then, were I to finish the season with the World Cup in South Africa to look forward to, I couldn’t ask for much more than that.”

Buaben showed—via a man-of-the-match display and a goal against Blackburn Rovers last weekend—that he has put his malaria scare behind him.

“I am feeling fine now, although at the time I just wasn’t right,” he added.

“When I came back from Ghana after my summer holiday, I knew there was something wrong so the best thing for me was to get it checked out.

“Now, though, I am fit and healthy again.

“The recent pre-season games have helped me get my fitness up so the Hearts game can’t come quickly enough for me.

“They beat us to qualify for Europe last season and we were so disappointed not to get the third spot.

“I suppose we will be a little bit jealous when we see them playing in Europe.

“That is where a club like Dundee United should be competing. If we can get off to a winning start, then it would be a big boost for everyone.”

Hearts manager Csaba Laszlo lost Christophe Berra to Wolves and Robbie Neilson to Leicester this year, while finances dictated that he could not hold on to key midfielders Bruno Aguiar and Christos Karipidis.

Hearts have also rebuffed interest from Coventry and Burnley in the now-injured Andrew Driver, and Laszlo will also be without Marius Zaliukas, who starts a four-match ban, and Calum Elliot.

Laryea Kingston has a knee problem but Ismael Bouzid and Arvydas Novikovas are expected to be fit.