Robinson: Dylan’s day will absolutely arrive
St Mirren midfielder Dylan Reid shocked Celtic on September 1 when he rejected a £150,000 switch to Parkhead which would have trebled his wages.
Ange Postecoglou made it clear that he’d be joining the Hoops’ development squad rather than immediately working with the first team, however, and the young Saint decided to stay put.
He’d hoped to gain more senior experience with the Buddies but his only subsequent appearance was as an 89th-minute sub in a 4-0 defeat to Rangers nine weeks ago.
Even so, his manager, Stephen Robinson, insists he’s a better player now than when he turned down his big move and claims there’s no mystery about him being sidelined.
“He’s 17 – that’s what happened,” he said. “Everyone wants to have young players in their side but they have to be ready for it.
“Dylan’s not quite there yet but he will be – he’s going to be a really good player, but that’s a process.
“Everyone wants instant success nowadays but it doesn’t come without the hard yards and Dylan is putting them in. He wants to get better, he wants to learn and do extra sessions and, as a staff, we work very closely with him.
“In the last week or so he played in closed-door games against Blackpool, Kilmarnock and Queen’s Park and he did well. I can see the improvement in him.
“When he first joined the senior squad for training he was caught in possession quite a lot due to the pace and intensity of it all but he’s really stepped up recently.
“He’s also become stronger physically but we have to remember that he’s just a kid and expectations shouldn’t be too high at this stage.”
Robinson understands Reid’s frustration but points out that he’s been held back by a combination of Saints’ good start to the season and a lack of cash.
“Dylan is a very good young player and he knows where his place is at the club at this moment in time,” he claimed.
“If we had a development squad or a reserve team then he’d be playing regularly but he’s not getting that game time because we can’t afford to run either of them.
“That makes it hard to develop young boys, which is why we put some of them out on loan. We currently have a couple of kids at Airdrie plus others at Cowdenbeath and Alloa, and they’re progressing well.
“Whether we need to do that with Dylan is something we’ll look at with him. He could also break into our first team but, with Keanu Baccus, Ryan Strain and Ethan Erhahon in top form, even Alex Gogic and Greg Kiltie can’t currently get a game.
“The reality is that Dylan is very, very young player with a small amount of experience and a lot of potential – that’s where he is right now. He’s aware of that but we’re working hard with him and doing extra bits and pieces.”
Celtic could convince him to sign a pre-contract agreement when the window re-opens next month. Reid’s deal in Paisley expires in May and he has refused to sign an extension.
Rangers were also interested last summer and new manager Michael Beale may also join the chase.