Much-travelled Watt training with Motherwell but ‘no expectations’
Former Celtic striker Tony Watt is training with Motherwell but Fir Park manager Stephen Robinson stressed there were no expectations from either side.
The well-travelled 26-yearold is a free agent after ending a brief spell with CSKA Sofia for family reasons.
“Tony’s a local boy, a very good footballer,” Robinson said of a striker who began his career with Airdrie and also played for Charlton, Cardiff, Blackburn, Hearts, St Johnstone and Belgian clubs Lierse, Standard Liege and OH Leuven. “We have just let him come in to train with us, use our facilities, with no-one really wanting anything out of it at this stage.”
Motherwell host Celtic this evening and could hand a debut to deadline-day signing Rolando Aarons, the 24-yearold winger they brought in on loan from Newcastle.
“I think he can bring another bit of excitement, one against one he is very good,” Robinson said.
“He is a boy whose career has stood still a little bit. He burst on to the scene very young, got a lot of plaudits, but he is now trying to take his career on an upward curve again and we are hoping we can do that for him because on first viewings of him close up, he has a lot of talent.
“What he has to do is kickstart his career. We have done that numerous times for players. We will give him a platform, I think we play a style that suits wide players, that gives them a licence to go and express themselves.
“He caught everyone’s eye on Monday. Whether he is fit enough and ready to start, he will definitely play a part.”
Robinson admitted he had “10 people off their game” in Saturday’s 1-0 defeat by Livingston and accepts they couldnothaveatougherchallenge than facing the Ladbrokes Premiership leaders.
“No, but it’s a good challenge,” he said. “We have nothing to lose.
“We will go in with the approach that we always do at home, where we try and take the game to Celtic.
“There will be periods of the game where they have possession of the ball. They are a very good side, but we have to make sure that when we land on it we are brave on it.
“We have nothing to lose. We are a good side, we have to believe that. Saturday was a blip and credit to Livingston, they were very, very good.
“You can’t feel sorry for yourself. The next game comes fast and it’s an opportunity to put Saturday to bed, play against arguably the best team in the country, and you have to be at your top levels.
“We resorted to a game that didn’t really suit us, we played similar to Livingston and we’re not very good at that.
“So we have to get back to what we do very well, which is pass the ball, build play, try and have ownership of the game. At no stage did we have ownership of the game on Saturday.”