Zak has Steel to recover
MailSport: show is a ref lection of you as a person. Having that kind of resilience and drive to be the best you can be is a personal thing.
“I would expect every player in my team to have that. If you’re quite happy where you are you’re not striving to be better. That’s when it becomes stagnant for players. They should want to get everything out of their career.
“That’s the way I look at it. I graft every day of the season then in the of fseason as well.”
One of Doolan’s key roles in the Firhi l l dressing room is trying to impose that kind of certain age when other things take precedence over their football.
“That’s down to you as a person and the way you’ve been raised. If it’s your goal to be a footballer there has to be some kind of sacrifice and commitment.
“It was my ambition in life to make it as a footballer so I gave it everything and I’ ll continue to do that until I can’t play any more.
“I’ll then know I’ve got the absolute maximum out of the ability I have.”
Along with Doolan, kid centre-back Lindsay will be a key man for Alan Archibald against Derek McInnes’ Dons as Thistle look to bounce back from Friday’s 5- 0 rout by Celtic.
The likes of Charlton and Bolton have been linked with a move for the 21-year- old while he has been watched by Scotland manager Gordon Strachan.
Doolan hopes Lindsay hangs around at Thistle for a while yet but is convinced he has what it takes to reach the top.
He said: “I’m sure Liam has the ability to play at a high level and he has a really good attitude as well.
“Being grounded will help him. He doesn’t get carried away.
“I’ve no doubt the big moves will happen for Liam because he has shown all the promise.
“I hope we can keep hold of him but if he goes and it’s the right move he’ll have the attitude to make the most out of his ability. “He’s a cracking big player and would be a
big miss.” Scot Gemmi ll has told Scotland kid Zak Jules to use the Toulon tournament to show he is tough enough to cut it at the top.
The defender suffered a difficult end to his loan spell at Motherwell after being ditched from the first team following a blunder against Ross County.
But the Reading stopper ha s been named in Gemmill’s Under-20 squad for the trip to the south of France where Scotland will face Czech Republic, Brazil and Indonesia.
It’s the first time Scotland have been invited to the prestigious tournament in 20 years and Gemmill wants Jules, 20, to bounce back from a disappointing end to his time at the Steelmen.
The Scots boss said: “When you play first-team football when it is life and death, you are there to be shot at.
“You need to be able to handle it. We’ve worked with Zak since the Under-17s. There’s no question about his mentality.
“Zak has proven to us in the last couple of years he can be trusted to play.
“He recognises his loan move hasn’t gone as he would have wished but very few footballers do get that.
“This is a chance for Zak to play games and show he can be a tough player.”
Gemmill reckons Kyle Magennis will also have gained huge experience from playing under the intense pressure of a Championship relegation battle with St Mirren.
He said: “We all want our young players to play first team football but it’s a whole new level to play under that pressure and intensity with that responsibility when your club is in trouble.
“Kyle possibly hasn’t realised it because he hasn’t played in any other situation. But it made h im grow up fast.”