AL’S A DREAM FOR GAFFERS
BY ANTHONY HAGGERTY MOTHERWELL boss Steve Robinson has hailed Allan Campbell as a manager’s dream and a joy to work with.
That’s why the Fir Park boss was sweating in midweek as he feared the youngster would return injured from Scotland Under-21 duty.
Robbo said: “Allan’s a manager’s dream. He gives you no hassle. If you leave him out of the team he just stares at you and thinks, ‘I’ll prove you wrong.’
“When he plays he gives 100 per cent. He’s a pleasure to work with.
“I’m just delighted that he and other international guys have come back unscathed!
“Wee Allan was my biggest concern because he plays that many minutes at that kind of intensity but he has come back unscathed and we’ve looked after him.
“He plays so many minutes and at such an intensity so it shows that Scotland value him just as highly as we do.
“I’ve had conversations with Scot Gemmill and Steve Clarke and they both rate him very highly. We’re delighted he’s doing well.
“We know how to manage Al, he has to play fresh and we’ve looked after him training-wise this week.
“You try to give Allan a day off and he doesn’t want a day off, so we’ve helped him back this week and he’ll be chomping at the bit. With his enthusiasm, sometimes you just have to pull him back a wee bit for his own good in term of training but I think we’ve got it spot on.
“We say to all of our young players here, latch onto Allan Campbell, latch onto Barry Maguire, latch onto those boys like Richard Tait and Liam Grimshaw who are in there every day and are the last off the training pitch.
“Allan is the poster boy from our club, that’s how you make it in football and a lot of people are now taking notice.
“When you score goals you get the headlines but people in the know in football know what Allan offers.
“Scot and Steve have taken notice of him at international level and he’s right on the verge of things there.”
Robinson is hoping the Steelmen make a statement of intent against Aberdeen at Fir Park today as a win would send them seven points clear of the Dons in third spot.
He said: “Derek always has his team organised and fired up and it’s another test. We must be right on the money.”