Clark Robertson eyes keeping Gary Naysmith out the team

[mizer]

CLARK ROBERTSON has spent the summer picking Gary Naysmith’s brains – now he is back fit he is going to set about pinching the veteran’s place in the team.

The 18-year-old Aberdeen full-back has been watching a master at work while he has been on the comeback trail following knee surgery at the end of last season.

Naysmith has been at the top level his entire career and has effortlessly slotted in after his summer switch.

The former Hearts and Everton man is set for a spell on the sidelines after tearing his hamstring against Morton last week.

But Robertson is ready to dive back in after making his return in the 2-0 friendly win against Viking Stavanger in Norway on Wednesday.

The youngster said: “It’s really good having Gary about the place.

“He’s played at the top level for Everton and Scotland so he’s the perfect guy to watch and learn from.

“As a young player you don’t think, ‘Oh no, there’s an experienced guy coming in’, you see it as a chance to work with someone who has done loads in the game.

“Gary and Russell Anderson are the kind of people you learn from.

“You watch them in training and in games, look at what they do positionally and with the ball.

“Then you try to do the same and match that standard.

“Of course you are rivals for your position but it’s in a good way, you try to push each other as much as possible.

“But when I was leaving to play on Wednesday in Norway Gary wished me luck. That is the kind of good guy he is, always encouraging.

“It’s good for the club to have players pushing each other, that’s what everyone wants.

“Healthy competition is the best thing for everyone.”

Robertson is still just 18 but has already made 40 appearances for the first team and is leading the charge of a bumper crop of youngsters at Pittodrie. Ryan Fraser has burst on to the scene this season as well but there are more to come with Cammy Smith, 17, announcing his arrival with a sensational strike in Stavanger.

Robertson said: “We have a lot of young players in the squad and that’s a good thing.

“I have known a lot of them since about the age of eight, we have all been training together and coming through the youth set-up.

“We have all grown up together and know each other’s game inside out.

“The likes of Cammy has broken in now and scored a great goal the other night.

“He’s an amazing player, he’s so strong for someone of his age and size.

“The manager won’t put everyone in at the same time, you need experienced players too.

“But in the future the club will have a strong nucleus of players in the first team who came through the ranks.

“That’s will be a great thing because we all know each other’s game and how we play.

“I have made 40 appearances already and that proves the manager will give the young boys the chance.”

[BigAl]

Seems reasonably level headed young lad.

Lets hope he sticks in and continues to develop, as we've got him under contract until 2015

Find it incredible that he has already played forty first team games, as would personally have thought it was more like half that number.

[Stewart]

This is a lot more positive than Diamond slagging off Willie Miller's jumpers.

[Madbadteacher]

Sounds good Clark, keep it up lad.

[manc_don]

Great read, keep it up please