Rising star Leighton McIntosh has vowed to build on the foundation he laid down during his debut season with Dundee.
McIntosh was not so much thrown into the deep end as pushed off the top diving board as the Dark Blues struggled for striking options due to the signing constraints of administration.
After his first senior appearance as a late substitute in a 1-0 win away to Morton on December 11, the 18-year-old became an integral part of the team that beat the odds by staying in the first division. He also finished the campaign on a high, scoring four goals in his last three matches.
That form has been recognised outside Dens Park, and tonight McIntosh will join team-mate Craig Forsyth and Arbroath midfielder Josh Falkingham in vying for the Irn Bru young player of the season award in Glasgow.
That nomination says much about the impact he has made on the club he joined as a 12-year-old. And having made the breakthrough, now McIntosh just wants to play as often as he can next term.
“It is an honour and an achievement to be recognised like this,” said McIntosh, who agreed a three-year contract with the Dark Blues earlier this month. “I got my break in the first team earlier than expected and I had to take my chance.
“I have been here since I was 12, so it felt awesome to finally make my debut. That is all you think about when you are a youth player coming through the ranks.
“It was brilliant, especially when I saw the support and heard the fans chanting my name that was a bit weird, really.Appetite”It has whetted my appetite for the new season, and I am looking to do even better than I did last time. My targets for next season are to get a regular spot in the team and hopefully get a few goals as well.
“I will just try my best that’s all I can do.”
His manager Barry Smith does not expect McIntosh to let what has been a promising start to his career go to his head. Even if he did, his boss would be quick to intervene.
“I think Leighton has probably been pushed forward earlier than we all expected,” said Smith. “He has ability, but he still has to work on a lot. Next season, his target will be to play more games in the first team nothing more than that.
“He has to keep his feet on the ground and realise how he has managed to get this far that is by hard work. At his age, there is no point getting carried away and I am one of the ones who will make sure he doesn’t.
“You see young lads getting carried away by it all and they don’t perform after that. Leighton has a chance in the game and it is up to him to take that chance.
“There will still be players ahead of him, but it is up to him to make sure he is in the mix.”Cash inSmith has moved to re-sign 19-year-old central defender Kyle Bendictus on a one-year deal. The manager also completed the formality of placing his own signature on the new three-year contract he agreed at the end of the season.
Dundee, meanwhile, may be set to cash in on an error made by Morton by taking former Celtic midfielder Carlo Monti to Dens on a Bosman.
The player’s agent, Jim Harkins, revealed that Monti had been offered a deal that slashed his wages for next season, which automatically entitled the 20-year-old to leave without the Greenock club being compensated.
“Their manager Allan Moore also said some uncomplimentary things about Carlo, about how he needs to grow up and so on,” said Harkins. “I pointed out to him that Carlo had played over 50 first division games and scored nine goals in the last two seasons.
“Once they realised their mistake they tried to offer him the same money but it was too late.”
The Dark Blues are also being linked with striker Jake Hyde, who scored three goals in two games for them in March after playing as a trialist while the club was in administration.