Dundee boss Paul Hartley admits he has performed a U-turn over striker Craig Wighton’s future following the teenager’s man-of-the-match performance on Saturday against Partick Thistle.
The Dens boss had previously decided to send the 17-year-old who signed a new deal that will keep him at the club until 2017 at the weekend on loan to gain experience.
However, Wighton’s goalscoring display against the Jags after coming on at half-time has persuaded the manager that he simply cannot afford to farm him out.
“We felt it was important that we tied him up so we’ve got him for another three years and hopefully he can develop into the player we think he can be,” said Hartley.
“I think he’s got the potential to be a top player, I really do. I think he can be anything he wants to be. He’s level-headed and is a good kid.
“He’s bright, works hard and wants to learn. He’s great to work with.
“Craig is happy here. He’s not one of those kids who comes in, plays a couple of games, and thinks about the next move. He wants to see his development here. I think he needs to play 100 games here.
“He’s got good parents and is from a good upbringing.
“They understand the situation also. I’ve had a couple of meetings with them and we’ve spoken about what we think we might want to do with Craig and how we see him developing in the future.”
That development is something Hartley is keen to nurture carefully having seen too many other promising Scottish youngsters fail to flourish because they have moved too early in their careers.
Hartley said: “Craig’s as good as I’ve seen at that age.
“You’ve seen in the past, young players who have come on the scene and have moved too quickly. He doesn’t want to do that. He wants to play a lot of games here and I think that’s fantastic.
“You’ve seen plenty players coming onto the scene in Scotland and they just disappear. But we don’t want that to happen to Craig.
“I think looking at the footage of his goal against Partick you see that the keeper is rushing out, but Craig doesn’t panic.
“That’s the type of player he is. He doesn’t panic. He’s composed and he is intelligent. We’re delighted we’ve got such a special talent.
“I don’t think you can coach him. I think he’s got the natural talent to be a football player.
“All you can do is help him and nurture him. We have to let him go and play and see how he develops in the next few months and years.”
Meanwhile, Hartley is hopeful that Willie Dyer, who had to come off injured against Partick, will be available for this weekend’s trip to St Mirren.
However, skipper Kevin Thomson, who injured his calf last week in Inverness, will not be risked.
The manager added: “Willie just caught his knee a little bit but we think he should be OK for Saturday. Thommo will probably be back for the Raith Rovers cup game next week.”