Lasley backs talented Turnbull to return even stronger

MOTHERWELL assistant manager Keith Lasley insists David Turnbull can surpass the levels he hit in his sensational breakthrough season.

Turnbull scooped a host of Young Player of the Year awards after bagging an impressive 15 goals in 31 appearances for Motherwell in the 2018/19 campaign.

His stunning form that season saw champions Celtic move to land him in a £3.25million transfer but the deal collapsed when a knee issue which required surgery was detected during his medical.

The 20-year-old battled back to fitness to return to action in February and was making good progress before the Premiership campaign was stopped because of the coronavirus.

Turnbull penned a new deal with the Steelmen in March and Lasley believes there is more to come from a player he rates as one of the rising stars of Scottish football.

‘Everyone knows the talent David has and, yes, he had a setback in his career with the injury, but he was getting back on the fringes of things before football was stopped,’ said Lasley.

‘Listen, he will get back there through getting his fitness, like the rest of the squad, and then get back to playing football.

‘His talent is without question and I’ve no doubt he is back on the road to being one of the best young players in Scotland.

‘David has been at the football club a long time, he’s been watching as a fan, come through the academy and has a lot of feeling for the football club.

‘So to see him commit to us with a new deal was really fantastic and, as a staff, we’ll be doing all we can to get him back to where we know he can be, if not beyond.

‘We still think there is more to come from David.

‘For me, David has a calmness under pressure and the way he manipulates the ball, he is just on a different level with some aspects of his game and for a lad so young his knowledge of the game and tactical awareness is excellent.’