IF David Turnbull is to move on from Motherwell in the coming weeks, whether that be to Celtic or elsewhere, then Fir Park fans will be left with warm, if fleeting, memories of his time in claret and amber.
The club itself will be consoled by the rather large injection to their finances that it will take to prise him away, but for assistant manager Keith Lasley, there will also be solace in the fact that there is a whole new generation waiting to take his place.
“If David does leave the club in the near future, it’s not a case of wondering where the next one is coming from,” Lasley said.
“We have a number of good prospects here, and it is testament to the work that has gone into these boys and the determination shown by the boys themselves that we do have others to now turn to.
“We have the likes of Jamie Semple, who is a kid like Reece McAlear and a couple of the other lads who has been with Scotland all the way through the age groups, and we see him as a player who has big potential.
READ MORE: David Turnbull transfer to Celtic in danger of collapsing
“Naturally, he still has things to work on, but in terms of talent he certainly is a great prospect. He is certainly capable of playing in our first-team and beyond if he is nurtured in the right way and if he shows the same determination as he has to this point.
“That’s the biggest thing, how much these boys actually want it, and that’s a big part of our message.
“The mental side of it is huge, and Jamie is one that we’ve got really high hopes has all of the right tools as well as the right attitude to do that.
“He’s one of a number that we feel are certainly going to push this year towards our first team. We start pre-season next week, and Jamie will very much be within that group pushing on with a few other young ones.”
It would be difficult for anyone involved at Motherwell not to allow their minds to wander over the past week or so as to what £3m or thereabouts could mean for the club, and for the infrastructure that is currently working miracles on a miniscule budget.
But whatever happens, the one thing that won’t change is the investment in time and energy that goes on behind the scenes at Fir Park to make sure the next generation is always on the cusp of making a breakthrough.
“There is so much time and effort from a lot of people that goes unnoticed behind the scenes to produce a David Turnbull at the end of it,” Lasley said.
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“Yes, the player himself and his own drive and determination is key, and no one has that more than the likes of David, Allan Campbell, Chris Cadden and other guys who have come through.
“We’ve given them the platform, and they have shown the determination alongside their undoubted ability to make the most of what they have.
“Of course, with added investment in the right areas, which it certainly would be given how much the people here care for the club and are mindful about the fact we have fan ownership, there would be a long-term healthy outlook there for the club.
“It’s not often that we have extra cash, and we still might not. It’s always a tight budget and every penny is counted, and that will continue as well.
“But even within that structure we’ve been able to produce some very good young talent, and that’s testament to the academy system and the academy coaches we have at the club.
“These are coaches who are going above and beyond their stations to produce the next player for Motherwell, and they deserve a lot of credit.”
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