Danny Wilson's in on merit says Walter Smith

Published on Saturday 28 November 2009 19:57

FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS may not be the only contributing factor, according to his manager, but even Danny Wilson recognises they have probably accelerated his elevation into the Rangers first team.

However, Walter Smith says the onus is now on the club to ensure the youngster does not become the victim of circumstance.

Having impressed since debuting against Dundee in the League Cup last month, the 17-year-old has added Champions League and SPL games to the growing list of appearances at the heart of the Rangers rearguard. But while he is still trying to absorb the enormity of the past few weeks, the interest of English Premierships scouts has been piqued. And his manager is already pondering the best time for a tactical retreat.

Last season it was John Fleck who attracted the hype but Smith resisted short-term acclaim for long-term gain and withdrew him from the frontline to aid his development. A year on he says he is in the same situation with Wilson.

"It's all right for everybody else to get carried away, but I am placed firmly in charge of these boys and at the present moment (Fleck] is going through it the way I think is the proper way. He will not be overplayed, he will get a few more games this season than he got last season. Then, after this season, I would be looking for him to be a steady performer for us but for that period we have got to look after him. I think Danny Wilson will be the same. He will play games for us and there will be periods when he goes out the team and comes back in and that's the proper way for us to handle their situation considering they are only 17 and 18."

But if some are wooed by the acclaim, there is something slightly different about Wilson. He is down-to-earth and grounded and Smith says he has no fears that headlines will have an adverse effect on the Livingston-born defender. He says there is a quiet confidence that will stand him in good stead.

There are also some excellent role models. As he made his breakthrough to the first team, Smith compared him to a young David Narey and Wilson admits he had to ask his under-19 coach Billy Kirkwood who that was. Now he lays alongside David Weir, who, he says, guides him through games with pointers and advice. But it was another elder statesman who caught his eye as he kicked about with schoolmates.

"I liked Maldini when he played for Milan and Italy. He was a left-sided defender like myself, great to watch and he broke through into the first team at a very early age too. I think he was 16/17 when he made his debut, the same age as me, so he's a great person to look up to and model myself on. Sadly I've never had the chance to meet him. When Rangers played Milan in a friendly last year I hoped he was going to be there but sadly for me he wasn't because that was an opportunity missed."

It's one of the few for this kid so far. This season was supposed to be about staking a claim at training rather than bursting into the first team ranks. "So everything that has happened has surpassed all my expectations. Its taken a couple of games to really sink in, it felt a bit surreal but having got a couple of games under my belt I'm really happy with the way things are going. I haven't noticed a difference off the park. I don't get recognised when I'm out so nothing's really changed for me in that respect. It's only on the park that I've found a big difference. This time last year I was playing for the under-19s."

As speedy as the development has been, and despite his overall assurance on the ball and the kind of quality left-footed distribution which has impressed his team-mates, Wilson has, says Smith, a lot more potential and the manager would hate to see him move on to a bigger club too soon.

"I've seen young players before come in and get games and it's too early to say we have got an exceptional level of talent. We have to make sure that their progress continues and they do make a career of it. There's a great number of younger boys at Rangers who have come into the team and showed up well and then their careers haven't flourished. So there's always that little bit of warning to every one of them.

"People make these assumptions that we have got to go with youth because of the current circumstances but those circumstances might change. When you are looking at the likes of Danny, young John Fleck, and we also have another lad, Jamie Ness, I think they will be excellent players regardless of whether the club is able to bring players in or otherwise. It is always a big decision for a manager to put in a central defender who is 17 years old but the way he's handled it has been very impressive. That would be regardless of age or financial circumstance."

Wiser than his years, Wilson certainly seems to be mulling things over in the correct manner. "The manager hasn't said anything about me not trying too much and keeping it simple – but I know myself that there's a time and place to play football and a time when you just need to defend. It's about finding the right balance while I try to settle in. I want to stay in the team but know it will be difficult to keep my place. I just need to keep working hard and hopefully I will get a few more games."