Tam Courts reckons Dylan Levitt is ready to recapture his dazzling early-season form at Dundee United — just in time to impress incoming Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag.
The Old Trafford loan star burst on to the scene for United at the start of the campaign, immediately becoming a classy midfield linchpin for the Tangerines.
While his influence has never waned, Courts acknowledges that the rigours of a gruelling calendar — allied with United’s occasionally pragmatic approach to sealing top six football — may have taken its toll on the Wales international.
He has also endured niggling fitness concerns.
However, Tannadice boss Courts has seen a vibrancy and quality to Levitt’s work this week which convinces him that the playmaker is ready to put on a show during the run-in.
“His training just now tells me that there is more to come from Dylan,” lauded Courts.
“I think it could be really exciting to see him hit the levels he hit at the start of the season.
“If you look back to the start of the season, Dylan was probably responsible for the team finding an extra gear in its performance levels. He helped us establish rhythms in games.
“But he is a young player who has never played as much football as he has this season, particularly in Scotland, where you have our weather and the need to adapt to those conditions.
“As we get back to spring time — with pitches improving, and without that pressure of fighting for the top six and the style play we fell into — I am looking for Dylan to liberate himself.”
‘We need to harness that’
Courts was speaking on Thursday afternoon, just as ten Hag was named new boss of the Red Devils.
Asked whether a new face in the Old Trafford dugout could provide added incentive for Levitt, who is out of contract in the summer, Courts continued: “As a management team, we need to harness that.
“Dylan will want to be in the Wales squad and there are those contract things.
“Players are always playing for something at this stage of the season.
“And there is just something different about the way Dylan is training just now that excites me to the same level as he did at the start of the season.”
Kevin McDonald fitness sweat
Meanwhile, Courts confirmed that Scotland international Kevin McDonald is ‘touch and go’ for Sunday’s visit of Hearts after picking up a slight knock.
That would be a further midfield blow for United, with Calum Butcher also set to miss out against the Jambos.
“We’ll give Kevin [McDonald] right up until the last minute,” continued Courts.
