Robinson hails loyalty of ‘grounded’ Turnbull as midfielder extends contract until 2022

MOTHERWELL

V ABERDEEN

The midfielder signed a one-year contract extension on Wednesday, two substitute appearances into his comeback from summer knee surgery, the issue that shelved a £3.25 million move to Celtic, and the 20-year-old would potentially have more suitors had he declined the chance to extend his deal beyond 2021.

However, the boyhood Well fan, inset, felt he owed the club and supporters, and extended it until 2022, which is likely to protect his transfer value.

As he prepared for tonight’s visit of Aberdeen, Robinson said: “He has to be credited for that. Most agents and most people in football let their contracts run out and see what’s there. There’s a risk element in doing that for the player and they are entitled to do that.

“I think it shows what a grounded young man he is. He wants to concentrate on football. If he produces the same form he showed before, he will eventually get his move to bigger things and a lot more money. But he just wants to play football, he wants to start every game for us, which obviously he can’t do at the moment.

“It speaks volumes in the modern age when footballers are renowned for grabbing every bit of money there is, and he doesn’t come into that category at all.

It’s very refreshing.”

Aberdeen boss Derek Mcinnes, meanwhile, is not surprised to see Motherwell still challenging for third and feels the battle for European spots will go on beyond tonight’s encounter. The Dons are one place behind Motherwell in fourth in the Premiership – as they were before their previous two meetings this season.

Aberdeen won 3-0 at Fir Park in October and Motherwell extended their lead to four points in January with a 1-0 win at Pittodrie with the gap back down to a point ahead of tonight’s clash in Lanarkshire. “There was a lot on that game then,” Mcinnes said of their first meeting. “There was a lot of focus on how well Motherwell were doing and rightly so. I remember saying prior to that game when I was asked if Motherwell could sustain it, I thought they would. I said they would be in and around us at the end of the season and that is where they are.

“It is a big game. I said last week before the Hibs game that the likelihood is we would play Hibs, Motherwell and Livingston twice.

“They are the teams around us who can really affect us finishing third.

“These head-to-heads with teams in and around you are always big games but there is added significance when there are only eight games to go.”