Ricky I’ll do write by kids
it’s the best way to get into the Sporting team.”
Gauld is relishing the challenge of impressing his parent club by excelling in the Portuguese top f light with Vitoria. The ex-Tannadice player is currently working on his match fitness and hopes to make his debut soon.
Gauld said: “As soon as I learned that Vitoria were interested and Sporting would sanction a loan move, I was very keen to go there.
“I’ve had fewer games than everyone else so it’s going to take me time to get a place in the team. But I got g a me t ime for Scotland Under - 21s , which means I’ ll go back c lo s e r to the starting line-up.
“I still see my future at Sporting. This loan move will give me games in that league then I will go back to Sporting for the next pre-season.
“It is different at Setubal but it is a nice city with everything you need in terms of shops and restaurants.”
Gauld is still loving life in Portugal and has even adapted to become a deep-lying central midfielder.
He showed a new side to his game for Scotland Under-21s this month despite suffering back-to-back defeats to Macedonia and Ukraine.
He said: “I’m now regarded in Portugal as a deeper midfield player, not so much as a No.10.
“Sporting see me as a box-to-box midfielder and I’m happy to play there. “Obviously I feel my natural position is more at t a ck i n g . But I’ m still learning this new role and enjoying it. “I don’t want to lose the creativity in my game. It’s why Spor t ing bought me – because of what I could do in the final third. “I need to keep it in my game and show it when I get forward. I just need to add to the defensive side of my game now.” Meanwhile, Gauld has urged £ 13m kid Oliver Burke to immerse himself in German culture at new club Red Bull Leipzig. The Sporting starlet knows what Burke is about to experience and is offering to help him make the difficult transition.
Gauld said: “It’s a great move for Oliver. Leipzig have spent a lot of money so there wi l l be hype surrounding him. That’s why it’ll be good for him to be out of the UK – there will be less expectation and people won’t be watching his every move.
“I’d encourage him to immerse himself in the new culture as quickly as possible. German lessons will be a huge thing for him.
“The quicker he fits in, the quicker he’ll enjoy himself. Seeing the way he plays, he’ll be perfect for German football.
“He’s a good dribbler, strong and powerful. But you have to expect a bit of homesickness.
“I’d be happy to speak to him about it. I’ve done it myself. There’s a new language and missing family.
“But in time he’ll get used to it, overcome any problems and do what he does best.” Ricky Sbragia is like an open book. And perhaps that has been to his detriment as Scotland Under-21 gaffer. But the outgoing boss, who will mentor coaches at the SFA, admits he can’t function any other way. Sbragia, who has worked under the likes of Bobby Saxton, Sir Alex Ferguson and Sam Allardyce, kept a diary of coaching expertise he picked up in his time at Manchester United. The 60-year-old could have kept it to further his own career but instead wants to pass on that knowledge to our future managers. Sbragia, who wi l l be replaced by Scot Gemmill, said: “Bobby was fantastic at telling you little things. That’s when I decided if I made it as a coach, anything I discovered that was di f ferent I’d give it to people if I felt it would make them better.
“I had a little diary over the three-and-a-half years at Manchester United.
“I could have kept that to myself for the rest of my career – it was my information.
“But I didn’t, I gave it to clubs I worked for. And I’ve done the same with the coaches at the SFA like Scot.
“People don’t see that side of me. I don’t think people know the real me.
“I want to see people progressing and moving on and I want to see Scottish football doing well.
“People might think I’m a fool. But that’s why I made the decision to step aside from the Under-21s – for the good of Scottish football. I’ve seen a lot over my career and I want to pass it on.”