The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Appere close to new contract, claims Neilson
UNITED: Boss confirms club are sending Connolly down to England to visit expert
Dundee United manager Robbie Neilson has confirmed that Louis Appere is about to pledge his future to the Tannadice club.
Neilson has been singing the praises of the 20-year-old frontman, who has agreed a contract extension and is expected to finalise the deal this week.
The Tangerines boss has left that business in the capable hands of sporting director Tony Asghar while he himself gets the team prepared to bounce back from last weekend’s loss to Ayr United.
It is all part of United’s forward thinking, with Logan Chalmers, 19, having agreed a three-year extension just last week and more to follow.
Neilson said: “There are a number of the young lads that we are looking to get on new deals.”
Neilson said: “Louis is one that we are hopeful of getting done pretty soon and Tony is dealing with that.
“My understanding is that we aren’t far away. We have also offered deals to Scott Banks and Logan Chalmers, whose contract got done recently.
“There are a number of others like Ross Graham, signed a three-year deal earlier this month, so there is a good group of young players coming through and it will be good to get it all done.
“I’m sure we’ll get there with all of them.”
Neilson has been extremely pleased with Appere, who has quickly become a recognised first-team player this campaign.
Indeed, the United gaffer admitted things have gone far better than even he would have predicted.
Neilson said: “He has done really well and probably surpassed what we expected of him.
“We knew the ability was there, as was the physique. It was just about the belief he had in himself.
“He was a very quiet lad last year but he went away to the juniors and when he came back he was like a different character.
“At Broughty Athletic, he scored 22 goals in 20 games and that gave him the belief that he could go on and do it for us.
“You need to have a thick skin in a junior club’s dressing room.
“As I know, he has shown people he can handle it.
“He then came into our first-team dressing room and has been great. That has brought him out of his shell a wee bit.
“When young boys come into a team and do well like he has done then senior players tend to take him under their wing, whereas if you move up and are not at that level then you can get moved aside a bit.
“With Louis, he has stepped up and the other players can see the quality he has and accepted him right away.
“We are just a few games in, though, so he has to keep it going.”
Meanwhile, United are sending central defender Mark Connolly to an expert in England to have a look at his hamstring injury.
The Irishman has had one scan done on it and that has come back pretty positive but, to be sure, they are seeking a second opinion.
Neilson said: “He got scanned and the results came back pretty positive.
“That first report came back saying it would be fine and that he just needed rest and rehab.
“We want a second opinion, though, so he is going to London on Saturday to see someone else, who is the main person for this kind of injury.
“We are hoping that he also says it’s fine. We should know the outcome of that by the middle of next week.”