Nisbet can take same national path as Shanks

FORMER Dundee United captain Paul Paton feels the Tangerines could have two Scotland strikers in their side if they snap up Kevin Nisbet.

Paton, who shared a dressingroom with the United target at Dunfermline last season, thinks the 23-year-old is capable of following Tannadice star Lawrence Shankland into the senior international set-up.

Paton said: “Shanks would have won the Player of the Year in the Championship because his goals fired Dundee United to the title and rightly so.

“If you are talking about a Scottish striker, though, I don’t think there is a better one at his age than Kevin.

“He has everything you need to play for Scotland.

“I am not sure whether he wants to go to the Premiership, England or abroad.

“I think he could play for any team in the Premiership and, even if the Old Firm were to take a punt on him, he would progress as much as he did last season and turn into a top, top striker.

“Shanks is a proven striker and went and got a Scotland cap and there is no reason why Kevin can’t go and do that as well.

“Shanks has scored a lot of goals in the Championship, as has Kevin, although Lawrence also did it at Ayr for a couple of years as well.

“I think Shanks is a good penalty-box striker but Kevin has a lot more to his game.

“He has been brilliant this season.”

Paton has had some top marksmen as team-mates over a long career but he reckons Nisbet, who the Tangerines will face plenty of competition to land this summer, is the best he has worked with since a certain Turkish star at United.

The midfielder added: “Kevin has height, ability, power, pace and finishing ability.

“He is the best striker I have played with since Nadir Ciftci.

“It is amazing the way he has grown since he first came in for pre-season, everything from his body shape to his mentality has been unbelievable.

“Everything about him is better now.