MacPhee sees Aaron as centre-half star
reason I hope Scotland get to the Euros – because John could show what a good player he is at the top European level.
“I could see him playing abroad as well. Dundee United turned down a bid of a million Euros from Roma when John was 17 and I can see why an Italian or a top Spanish club would be interested in him.
“It’s not normally a pathway that Scottish players take. Look at John McGinn who went to England as an aggressive box-to-box midfielder.
“He did well in the
Championship and is now doing well in the
Premiership.
“But sometimes you need a shop window that lets people walking past see what you’re good at. Look at Andy Robertson – you’re not telling me he’d be as effective if he was at Stoke where he’d be on the back foot.
“At Liverpool, a full-back’s job is to run into the opponent’s half and cross first time.
“That’s pretty much your job because you’ve got Virgil van Dijk beside you who’ll defend one v two, let alone one v one.
“Robertson gets critiqued on breaking beyond the right-back 30 yards from goal and crossing the ball first time – and he’s world class at that. That’s his job.
“And that’s my point about John. What is the job?
“Is the job to go and deal with Wigan’s centre forwards, who are 6ft 3in on a wet day in Stoke?
“Or is the job to stand on the halfway line for Pep Guardiola and pick a pass because you’ve got five players on the front line?” future, wi l l it happen? Probably, if he keeps doing what he’s doing and banging in the goals.
“International recognition is probably his next carrot, can he achieve that? We’ll see where it takes him.”
Holt, whose side return from their winter training camp in Spain tomorrow, insists Dykes can get even better after only becoming a professional f irst team footballer in 2016 when he joined Queen of the South.
Holt said: “He’s still young, he’s still learning his trade, he might be 24 but he’s a bairn in football terms with his education and where he has come from.
“He has come up the hard way and is still learning every day.”
Holt is still keen to add to the squad after signing keeper Ryan Schofield and defender Ciaron Brown on loan earlier in the week.
He said: “I’m not sure there’s space but we’re a trying. If it adds to the group then you can’t turn it down. It has to be someone who makes the boys think, ‘I’ve got a fight on my hands here.’”