Former Bristol City midfielder Paul Hartley believes Ross McCrorie’s attributes and ability would suit the Championship and has praised the Robins infrastructure and fanbase.
Hartley made 42 appearances for City during the 2009/10 season before returning to Scotland to finish his career with Aberdeen and is still remembered fondly by supporters in BS3 due to his outstanding ability on the ball.
Now manager of Cove Rangers in the Scottish Championship, he is watching with interest as to McCrorie’s next destination with City remaining in talks over a deal that would bring the 25-year-old to Ashton Gate.
With five matches of the Scottish Premiership campaign running until May 27, the expectation is that McCrorie will finish the season with the Dons before completing his switch south of the border which Hartley claims would thrust him further into Scotland contention.
“I do believe Bristol City are geared up to the Premier League. They are a big club. They are a good club with average crowds of around 15,000. I really enjoyed my time there,” Hartley told Aberdeen Live.
"It’s still the same owner, Steve Lansdown. They have great training facilities and it’s also a great city to stay in. The Championship is a big league and you can see the attraction of it.
“Ross has come into good form over the last couple of months. For me, he suits that league. He is a big powerful player. He is versatile, young and Scottish. England is an attraction to any Scottish player now. That is where a lot of the players now see themselves.”
City finished ninth in the Championship during Hartley’s time in the West Country and were unable to crack promotion into the top flight but clearly the 46-year-old remembers his spell with fondness, praising the “passionate fanbase” in BS3.
“They have spent a lot of money, back to when Derek McInnes was manager. They’re definitely a team geared towards the Premier League,” Hartley added. “Even when I was playing we were averaging 15,000 at home games. They just haven’t got there and they have gone through a few managers. They are a really passionate fanbase.
“It’s an attractive league but the Championship is also a hard league to get out of. Look at the Scottish boys who are doing well down in England’s top two leagues. Ross will want to force his way into the Scotland squad.”
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