He was famously described by Craig Brown as being able to play like Dennis Bergkamp but with the build of Joe Harper.

Much, then, is expected of Cammy Smith, one of Aberdeen's rising stars, who extended his contract with the club yesterday until the summer of 2015.

The move mirrors those of Dundee United, who have shown a desire in recent times to retain their brightest talent, hence the extended deals for John Souttar, Stuart Armstrong and Ryan Gauld.

Smith, a powerful 18-year-old midfielder who broke into the first team under Brown's management, may not be a regular in the side, but Derek McInnes, his manager, recognises his potential.

"We have high hopes for Cammy," he said. "With any young player it is about potential but he's already shown a maturity for someone his age. We will give him a platform to fulfil his potential, but he has a great application and is always trying to learn. He has got talent but it takes more than just talent but he has that desire to make sacrifices to improve.

"There's good players ahead of him at the moment but I have trust in him to play his part and he's been involved in most games."

Smith admitted he had no desire at this stage in his career to leave his hometown club and, following a quick consultation with his parents, agreed the new contract.

"I had another 18 months to run on my deal." he said. "So for the manager to say he wanted me to stay longer means a lot.

"I wasn't tempted to look at England. It was a no-brainer for me to stay and play regular football. I have a better chance of playing regular first team football up here."

McInnes also revealed that on-loan defender Michael Hector, was likely to return in January to his parent club, Reading, to combat their injury crisis. There remains the possibility, though, that he could return to Pittodrie before the window closes.