Dundee manager Paul Hartley has pledged not to push teenage striker Craig Wighton too hard and too soon, despite his recent Scotland heroics.
The 16-year-old was one of Mark Wotte’s star performers as the under-17s made it to the finals of the European Championships by winning three out of three of their elite group qualifiers last week.
Hartley took in two of the matches, and reported that the young forward has returned to Dens Park with a spring in his step.
The Dundee boss is aware of the pressure to give Wighton more game-time in the Dark Blues’ Championship run-in, but insisted “we’ll look after him”.
Hartley said: “Craig’s back with us now. He had a really good week with Scotland. I went to watch him in two of the three games. He did very well. He was excellent in the first one against Bosnia, in particular. He got his goal and hit the post.
“There’s a lot of attention on him because they’re high-pressure games for Scotland at that age. And he won’t have been used to playing three games in a week.
“I think they’re away in Malta for the finals in May. That will be more good experience for him. He’s coming back to us full of confidence. He trained really well today and has looked very sharp.”
Hartley added: “Craig’s going to be a player, but he’s still young, still learning the game and still has to physically develop. I know a lot of people want him thrown in but there’s a time and a place.
“He’s in my thoughts, has been in a lot of squads and has come on a couple of times, but he’s a 16-year-old kid and we have to remember that.”
Asked whether Wighton had been over-played earlier in the season, Hartley replied: “I don’t know.”
He added: “There’s obviously high expectations on him. He still plays like a kid sometimes, but he’s got all the potential in the world and we’ll work with him.
“He’s on a long-term contract. We won’t be looking to sell Craig Wighton we’ll be looking to develop him.
“We’ve seen it plenty of times before with young players who don’t play enough games up here and head down south.
“Just look at the ones across the road. Their players have been in and out, and they’ll get loads of game time at United.
“We don’t want to burn this young talent out.”
Hartley played a big part in the development of St Johnstone’s Stevie May.
The Perth top scorer was loaned to Alloa before stepping up a level at Hamilton and then making an immediate impression in his first full season as a regular at McDairmid Park.
But Hartley says it’s apples and oranges comparing May with Wighton.
“We got Stevie at 18,” Hartley pointed out. “Craig’s two years behind him. Stevie was older and more street-wise in terms of physical development. That’s something we’re working on with Craig.
“But his ability is natural. We’ll look after him. There will be a time he’ll be a regular in our team because he’s got everything in his locker.”