Scott Fraser shows he can do the grafting for Dundee United

In what’s still a fledgling career, Scott Fraser has already picked up his fair share of Man-of-the-Match awards.

Of the clutch of Champagne bottles he’s got his hands on, the 21-year-old midfielder admits few have meant more than the one he was handed courtesy of the Sky TV pundits after Sunday’s draw at Hibs.

For the Dundonian it meant recognition that he’s a player who can do the ugly side of the game.

Since he became a Tangerines regular last season, those who’ve watched him have praised his creative talent.

What has been questioned is his willingness to graft and get involved when games become a battle.

As United fought for their point at Easter Road, for them that’s exactly what the 90 minutes became.

So, for Fraser, to be recognised as chief among those who put a shift in for that vital draw was reason to smile. And he’s adamant when the going gets tough, he will get going.

“I think the Man-of-the-Match was more for my workrate than what I did on the ball and that was pleasing,” he said before revealing that side of his game had been a topic of discussion in the build-up.

“The gaffer pulled me into the office last Friday and said I have all the ability in the world but sometimes my attitude and my workrate will be questioned.

“That’s not something I want held against me because I do want to go as far in the game as I possibly can and I want to work hard for the team.

“The team is the most important thing and that means putting in hard work. Thankfully, for me, that got recognised on Sunday and it was pleasing.”

Having been a midfield talent himself, there’s no doubt United boss Ray McKinnon wants to utilise Fraser’s attacking threat as much as possible. But with powerhouses Willo Flood and Stewart Murdoch on the injury list, he needed a different kind of shift from his young star.

He got it and, while Fraser’s never going to be the next Roy Keane or Scott Brown, he admits his work was satisfying.

“I enjoyed it. We changed the formation a bit, a big bit really. It was more like a Christmas tree with a four at the back, a three in midfield, two just in front and then Simon (Murray) up front on his own.

“It was something we worked on all last week and the aim was to get our full-backs high.

“It didn’t really come off first half but we got it working in the second. It was a good point for us.

“We felt we could have won in the end and, even in the first half, we could have done more on the break.

“The gaffer said to us at half-time to push up high and believe in ourselves. He told us that if we weren’t better than them we were at least their equal and, over the 90 minutes, I think we showed that.

“I thought we more than matched them in the second half and, after we got our equaliser, I felt we could have gone on and got another couple of goals.”

Fraser is quick to point out it was no one-man show in the capital. Reflecting on the game, he believes there were a lot of positives to be taken.

“I think when Tosh (Lewis Toshney) went off injured, if you looked at our midfield three it was me, Blair Spittal and Charlie Telfer. You wouldn’t call any of us a midfield general but I thought we battled hard for the team and worked for each other.

“That was the main thing to take away from Sunday.”