Daily Record

Dean: Hot Toddy talks help keep us on the up

- BY ALAN ROBERTSON

DIAMONDS kid Dean mcmaster says Nikolay Todorov isn’t just ensuring defenders’ heads drop – he’s helping keep his own up with his pep talks.

Airdrie headed north for Inverness yesterday with seven points from the last nine on offer reinvigora­ting their play-off challenge.

Mcmaster, 20, has racked up 34 appearance­s this term in midfield with more minutes in there than he could have imagined.

But on occasion when that hasn’t translated into starts – he’s come off the bench in two of their last three – Todorov’s doubled up as mr motivator.

The Bulgarian got another goal in Tuesday’s 2-0 win over Dunfermlin­e and mcmaster laughed and said: “That’s the hard part – trying to shut him up, he’s just constant, so immature!

“It is good to have him around, he brings a good buzz around the place – especially for young ones, he is good with us, helping us out. At times in recent weeks I’ve been in and out the team, he takes me aside.

“He says, ‘Don’t worry, don’t get too high, don’t get too low, just stay levelheade­d, your chance will come again’. He’s been very helpful this season.”

Samson Lawal, 19, reckons he can hit the heights for Inverness.

The Nigeria Under-20s midfielder joined the injury-hit Highlander­s last week on an emergency loan from Livingston.

Lawal said: “Fans should be expecting something big because at this club they like to play on the ground. That is the style I am used to and I can’t wait to play in front of the fans here.

“If we can win three or four, we can get up to the top half of the table and look to progress from there.”

 ?? ?? LEVEL-HEADED McMaster
LEVEL-HEADED McMaster

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