Dundee boss Paul Hartley has revealed he told Martin Boyle he needs to add consistency to his game to become an automatic selection in his starting XI.
The 21-year-old front man was outstanding for the Dark Blues on Saturday at Kilmarnock, with his pace a constant threat to the home defence.
That start in Ayrshire was a reward for his display as a substitute in the win over Hamilton the week before with the manager admitting that he had tinkered with his formation to accommodate Boyle.
Now, Hartley is looking for the player to produce similar high-calibre displays on a regular basis.
He said: “Martin has been terrific. He’s been champing at the bit for the last couple of weeks for a start.
“He’s been doing well in the reserves and I thought he did well when he came on against Hamilton. So he deserved his start on Saturday. He showed what a threat he is.
“I spoke to him and said if you start adding some consistency to your game it can make the difference. He’s got the pace so it’s just about the final product, which is the pass or whatever.
“It’s all about being a bit more calm and composed in the final third. I was really pleased for him at the weekend and now he needs to find consistency to become a first-team pick.”
Dundee’s victory at Kilmarnock was their third win in a row with Hartley admitting there is a buoyant mood inside Dens at the moment and his players cannot wait for Saturday’s game at home to St Johnstone.
Hartley said: “The spirits are high. Everyone feels better when you come into the club in the morning on the back of three straight wins.
“It was a good performance down at Kilmarnock. We had a little blip recently which we always knew would come but we’ve reacted well.
“Now we can go into Saturday’s game with St Johnstone full of confidence. The players will be bouncing and rightly so.”
Dundee will be without long-term injury victims Kyle Letheren and Peter MacDonald for the game against Saints but there is better news on another three who missed the game at Kilmarnock.
Hartley said: “Craig Wighton will hopefully be OK for the weekend. Luka Tankulic and Simon Ferry will also be back running this week.”