Dundee United manager Robbie Neilson is delighted to see loan midfielder Declan Glass impressing at Cove Rangers.
Glass has sparkled for the Aberdeen side since joining from the Arabs last month.
He has already scored four times for Paul Hartley’s men, including a stunning stoppage-time winner against Cowdenbeath on Saturday.
That prompted Hartley to enthuse: “Declan Glass is a special talent. Sometimes you need a little bit of quality, a bit of magic to win you a game. He did that and he’s been terrific so far.”
Rather than wish he was still at Tannadice, though, Neilson is pleased that the 19-year-old is making the most of his move to League 2’s newest outfit.
The United boss said: “I think the thing for Declan is he needed to go and play games.
“In January, he will come back. We will reassess him and see if he’s doing well and if there is going to be space for him to come back into the group.
“He is at a level where the reserves are not pushing him and he wasn’t quite ready for the first team.
“We saw it as a good chance to go up there with Paul.
“I have spoken to Paul regularly and he is delighted with Declan.
“I am really pleased with the way it is going for him,” added Neilson.
“The thing for me is going out and playing proper men’s football. The demands on players are there and if they make mistakes people are going to be on their backs.
“It’s been a benefit for him and there are a number of other younger ones we are going to put out and do the same.
“We sent Matty Smith up to Cove as well, hopefully to get some goals.
“I expect that team to do really well this season.
“I think it is important that when our lads do come back into the group that there is an opportunity for them and they are not sitting in the stand again.
“The sooner you can get them into first-team football the better, whether that be at United, at League One and Two, or junior football.”
Should Glass return in the new year and secure a starting spot for United he will be following a route similar to that taken by Louis Appere, who spent last season in the junior ranks with Broughty Athletic before starring for the Tannadice side in the opening weeks of the new campaign.
Neilson added: “It did work really well for Louis.
“It was great for him and it’s a great set up there.
“They played a bounce game here (St Andrews) a couple of weeks ago and they have a decent group.”