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Ignore Real! It would be 'ridiculous' for 'Scottish Messi' Gauld to leave Dundee United, says SFA's Wotte
By John Greechan|
SFA performance director Mark Wotte believes it would be ‘ridiculous’ for rising star Ryan Gauld to leap straight from Dundee United to one of the world’s leading clubs.
But the Dutchman is optimistic that biding his time at Tannadice — or using one of the Old Firm sides as a stepping stone — could eventually lead Scotland’s most promising youngster to the loftiest heights of the global game.
Wotte, who has been monitoring the progress of 17-year-old Gauld for the past two-and-a-half years,
argues that the next step for any young player impressing in the Scottish Premier League is fraught with potential pitfalls.
Talented: Dundee United's Ryan Gauld (left) is emerging as Scotland's most promising prospect
Aware that top sides from England, Spain and Italy have all been linked with Gauld, in particular, he said: ‘When the time comes to go down south or to another club, that’s really hard.
‘I wouldn’t advise taking a massive step.
‘I mean, people are talking about Real Madrid being interested in Ryan Gauld. For me, that is ridiculous.
‘Maybe in two or three years’ time. But, if he ends up being part of the academy at Real, he could disappear in the numbers — because they have five, six or seven Ryan Gaulds.
Words of wisdom? SFA Performance Director Mark Wotte (left) believes Ryan Gauld should stay put
‘I would prefer him to stay in Scotland, play his games here, before getting a recognised move to an English club — if that is possible.
‘He doesn’t have to leave Scotland to develop. That’s the most important statement I want to make. He doesn’t have to move.
‘He can stay with Dundee United and get another 100 games under his belt, he’d still only be 19. Or he gets a move within Scotland, to a bigger club, the obvious being Celtic or Rangers — that could happen in a couple of years. That would also give a development to his career.
‘I have mixed thoughts about this. When you go to a top academy down south and train with better players every day, that will obviously develop your skills.
Stalled careers: For all of their talent, Alvaro Negredo (left) and Juan Mata had to leave Real Madrid to play
High hopes: Many believe Ryan Gauld can become Scotland's best player for generations
‘But to play a mature game in Scotland, play every week in the Scottish Premiership, that will give you another kind of development — dealing with fans, dealing with pressure.
‘Ryan is, for us, a great advertisement as a Scottish player with a proper foundation. Good skills, ability, attitude, awareness.
‘An athlete? Not yet. But he’s quick enough. And he’s aggressive enough, so he can play the man’s game in the Scottish Premiership.
‘Now the next step will be, well, what is your next step? Is he going to England, Europe, staying in Scotland and getting 100 or 150 games under his belt before moving to maybe a bigger club in Scotland?
‘Normally that would have happened in the last 20 years — a young boy playing very well with the smaller clubs would get his move to Rangers or Celtic, where there is other pressure, you have to deal with more competition. That’s the next step for him.
‘So there’s a lot of hurdles to overcome for him before he’s going to be a really top, top star player. But, of course, it’s looking great.’
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