Robinson: Hearts bid for Cadds laughable

MOTHERWELL boss Stephen Robinson has hit out at Hearts over their “laughable” bid for the Steelmen’s young midfielder Chris Cadden.

The Tynecastle club had an offer of £100,000 for the Scotland under-21 star kicked out this week, with Robinson stunned at the Jambo’s valuation of one of his prize assets.

The Northern Irishman is angry at Hearts for trying to unsettle his player with such a derisory bid, and he insists Motherwell won’t be bullied into parting with their top talent for a miserly offer.

“The offer was verging on laughable for someone of Chris’s talent,” Robinson said.

“When a boy can walk out of a club when his contract runs out for £600,000 compensation, the offer of a hundred grand... it won’t be something I’ll consider.

“Chris’s time will come when he will probably leave but it won’t be for that kind of money and it won’t be at this time. We intend on making sure he is a big part of what we do.

Robinson’s mood was lifted ahead of today’s friendly at Stirling Albion with the news that defender Charles Dunne has agreed a one-year-deal, with the option of a second.

The pacey 24-year-old, who can play at left-back or centre-half, played under Robinson before at Oldham, and the Motherwell boss feels he has plenty of potential yet to fill.

“Charles offers a real competition within the back four,” he said.

“He can play left-sided centre back and left-back, he adds pace and athleticism to the team. He was at Wycombe and went to Blackpool for big money, where he played a lot of games in the English Championship.

“Then we went to Oldham where I had him, but he had an injury and it kept him out for three or four months.

“That’s probably the reason why we got him. He’s someone who hasn’t quite fulfilled the potential of his attributes. He just needs someone to believe in him.”