Dundee boss Paul Hartley insists that he will continue to take a cautious approach with teenager Craig Wighton’s development.
The 17-year-old has made several cameo appearances for the Dark Blues this season, something his manager believes he deserves enormous credit for.
However, there are those among the Dundee support who believe the youngster should be given a longer, consistent run in the team.
Hartley though is determined to proceed with care, insisting that Wighton is still developing mentally and physically.
The manager previously had another promising youngster under his charge when he was in charge of Alloa Stevie May on loan from St Johnstone.
And Hartley used the now Sheffield Wednesday striker and the way he has worked on his physique as an example Wighton should follow.
The Dens boss said: “I think Wighton has had chances.
“Everybody is crying out for him to be playing every week but he is still 17.
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“We have to look after the young lad.
“He’s at that age where he is still developing as a player.
“He came on in our last game against Aberdeen and there aren’t many 17-year-olds in and about first-team squads in the Premier League.
“So Wighton will get his chance like everybody else but he is still developing as a player.
“Physically he is still developing, mentally he has still to develop.
“With young players it is easy to put them in the team and they can come in and do well for short periods of time.
“But it is over their career and a long period of time where they have to find that consistency.
“Everybody cries out for young players to get into the team and yes, we are all for it.
“However, we have to look after them also in terms of when they come in and when they come out. I think that’s what we are doing with Craig.
Turning to former Saints star May, Hartley added: “I think Stevie came in at a good age (at St Johnstone) and he had that wee period of about six months where he did really well.
“But it is finding that over a long period of time and Stevie had a spell where he had to go out on loan for 18 months to get his career back on track.
“We also have Craig working on a programme to get physically stronger.
“He will be working on that right through the summer and he can come back to push again.”