Aberdeen’s three loanees at Cove Rangers – including eye-catching attacker Adam Emslie – could hold their own at Premiership level for the Dons “no problem”, according to Paul Hartley.
Emslie, 19, netted his fifth goal for League One promotion-chasers Cove in last weekend’s 4-1 victory at Inverness.
This weekend, Cove travel to Palmerston – the site of Emslie’s first goal for his loan club back in August – to face Queen of the South.
Ahead of the away trip, Cove boss Hartley offered a rave review of “very good” Reds youngster Emslie’s contribution during the first half of a loan spell where he has also bagged four assists.
Hartley said:Â “We’ve changed his position a wee bit, and we’ve played him through the middle at this moment in time.
“He’s played most of his football in a wider area, but I just felt when I looked at his pace he could trouble teams in behind.
“He’s a young man learning the game.
“He had a loan spell at Formartine (United in the Highland League) last year, did very well, and obviously he’s jumped up a few levels. But he’s he’s come in and handled it really well.
“He’s really good to work with, has great pace about him and he can score a goal.
“That’s his fifth goal for us. He’s not a natural goalscorer, if you want to put it that way, but he knows where the back of the net is.
“And he’s had assists. So he’s done really well.”
‘I think they can get into the team’
Emslie – who has yet to feature in an Aberdeen first-team squad – is on loan at Cove alongside fellow Dons youth academy graduates Dylan Lobban and Findlay Marshall, also both 19.
Lobban, whose loan move from Aberdeen was extended until the end of the season on Friday, and Marshall have both been named in Reds first-team squads without making an appearance.
Hartley – a former top-flight star with Hearts, Celtic and the Dons, who has also managed at the top-level in Scotland – thinks the trio would all be worthy of a Premiership opportunity with Jimmy Thelin’s Reds.
He said: “It’s valuable experience for them when you go out on loan – good, bad or indifferent – and, to be fair, the three youngsters have done really well and I’m really pleased with them.
“See if they’re good enough, get them in the team – I don’t see any reason why they shouldn’t be in at 16, 17, 18. That’s my opinion.
“I don’t think we’ve got enough youngsters playing at the top level.
“I think they can get into the team, no problem. As I said, if you’re good enough, then you’re old enough.
“They’re under contract to Aberdeen for another couple of years, so all we’re doing is to try to help develop them, give them experience, and you hope they get a wee opportunity at the top level.”
Paul Hartley looks for same Cove ‘attitude and quality’ at Queen of the South
Cove’s showing to thrash Caley Thistle last weekend was described as “fantastic” by Press and Journal Sport columnist Duncan Shearer.
Hartley is hoping Cove – who are fourth in League One and six points behind leaders Arbroath – can find the same performance levels against Queen of the South in Dumfries as they did in the Highlands.
He said:Â “It’s two tough away games and we’ve obviously navigated ourselves through the first one against Inverness, who are a very good team, but we played really well and I’ve got to give credit to the players.
“We’re just looking for the same against Queen of the South – that’s not easy to do, but if the players show the same attitude and quality, then I’ll be fairly happy to be honest with you.
“We’re just doing the basics well: hard work, we’ve got a lot of energy, a lot of good young players, and we’ve got good experience, and they’re helping them.
“It’s not rocket science to be honest with you. We don’t complicate it – we keep it simple.
“We know Queens are a good team and I think they’re maybe in a wee bit of a false position, so we’ve got to do the same as we did the other day.
“We’re doing all right at this moment in time, and we’re in a nice position where we want to be at the turn of the year.”
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