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James McPake says Dunfermline star Craig Wighton will get better and reveals how ‘poster’ boy expectations affected player at Dundee

The Dunfermline manager is delighted to get the striker signed up on a new two-year deal.

James McPake and Craig Wighton are both 'delighted' to get the deal finalised. Images: Craig Brown.
James McPake and Craig Wighton are both 'delighted' to get the deal finalised. Images: Craig Brown.

Pars boss James McPake played alongside Craig Wighton when the striker was breaking into the Dundee side at 16 years old.

They also did their rehab together at Dens Park after picking up injuries around the same time.

After McPake retired and took up coaching they spent a bit of time working alongside each other in the Dundee Reserves and youth set-up.

Now the Dunfermline manager is benefitting from having a more mature Wighton leading the line for the League One leaders – and is “delighted” to see the player commit his future to the club by signing a new two-year deal.

Craig Wighton’s new contract will keep him at the Pars until 2025. Image: Craig Brown.

“He is going to get better,” said McPake.

“He is still a very good age and he has played in a lot of high-pressure games  – whether at Dundee as a kid, derbies up there, Edinburgh derbies, Scottish Cup semi-finals and Scottish Cup finals.

“As soon as I got the job he was one of the first people I called to say that I was looking forward to working with him and I was going to be relying on him a lot.

“He has not let anyone down.”

McPake said there was interest from elsewhere in Wighton – and that there would have been even without his 16-goal tally for the season – but the player never indicated a desire to move.

Dundee ‘poster boy’

As a teenager, Wighton broke into the Dundee side and soon became forever associated with relegating their city rivals with a winning goal against Dundee United.

McPake thinks the weight of expectation may since have had an impact on the player’s career on occasion.

“He was probably put out there too soon in terms of being a poster boy for a football club,” said the Pars manager.

“He was only 16 and I can speak about it because I was there.

“It was not something that I particularly agreed with but he was exposed to things he maybe shouldn’t have been doing when he was so young, due to the impact that he had at Dundee.

“I don’t know if it hindered him too much but it certainly didn’t help him.

“Then he scored that goal that they all speak about against United and it elevated him again.

Craig Wighton is hailed after scoring the winner against Dundee United.

“He went to Hearts and I come back to what football does – it gives you kicks and it can hurt you.

Carrying expectations

“I don’t think that was handled particularly well and that wasn’t the manager, that was the football club, in my opinion.

“I can speak from experience because I have had players very similar to Craig: Finlay Robertson, Lyall Cameron, Josh Mulligan, Sam Fisher – all playing for Dundee.

“I don’t think Dundee did that with Craig. Paul Hartley was excellent with him, Neil McCann was excellent and then he was a bit older when the next manager came in.

Neil McCann congratulates Craig Wighton during their time at Dundee. Image: SNS.

“The club in general, the higher-up people at the club didn’t handle it very well in my opinion.

“It had an effect on Craig because when you are so young and you are carrying the expectations of the full club which was the case, then as soon as you have a bad game people recognise it more and you are held more accountable.”

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