Stephen Robinson has revealed Kevin van Veen is already having a positive effect at St Mirren as he downplayed the need to babysit the striker.
The Dutch striker, 33, is back in Scotland for a season-long loan in Paisley from Groningen having spent part of the last campaign with Kilmarnock.
Van Veen made his debut for St Mirren off the bench against former club Kilmarnock in the feisty 2-2 draw on Saturday.
While unable to make his mark in the cameo appearance, Robinson has insisted Van Veen has already made a difference at St Mirren - driving striking standards at the Ralston training base.
"Kevin's quality shines through and through," said Robinson of the forward. "He has done it at this level previously and will do so again.
"He knows he is three or four weeks behind the boys in terms of fitness and sharpness but he has been brilliant since he came in.
"The boys have enjoyed him and he's driven up the standards of finishing. All of a sudden, the strikers have stepped up a little bit. That's what you want.
"He has fitted in really well but there is still lots of work to be done and he will get that over the coming weeks.
"I believe he will play a big part going forward, he adds that quality and he pushes the other players around him."
Quizzed on coaching the forward - nicknamed the Budget Bergkamp - Robinson insisted Van Veen's attitude has been "first class" and certainly not indicative of a player who could be difficult to manage.
"I don't find him difficult at all. We've had lots of difficult characters and we're like a rehab centre for boys to put an arm round their shoulders and get their careers back!
"He has been nothing but first class. Hard work and scores 30 goals? I'll take that.
"He's certainly not been hard work with me. He's bought into everything we're doing.
"Players need love and an arm round them. They are just boys. We see them as super-human and they don't have problems outside of football...everybody has problems.
"Everybody needs to be treated more than just a piece of flesh which is thrown on the football field."
Read more:
-
Robinson relieved as Gillespie to stay at St Mirren after Rangers link
-
'Wise up, Caolan' - St Mirren's Boyd-Munce on becoming a father
Meanwhile, Robinson welcomed more transparency from the Scottish FA after Willie Collum's new The VAR Review show analysing and explaining key flashpoints.
"They will probably be ours," Robinson joked of the new initiative to go over controversial decisions in a public YouTube video filmed by the Scottish FA. "Most of ours are contentious."
The St Mirren boss continued: "I think anything that makes the game better and makes things clearer to fans [is a good thing].
"A lot of people - and I include myself, commentators and people in the media - sometimes don't know all the rules and the reasons behind some decisions.
"The people that make the rules now just complicate the game. I don't know half the rules any more and I'm sure you guys are exactly the same.
"It will educate everybody and help the fans understand the reasoning for decision-making and it will maybe see some more empathy shown towards the officials.
"They are only enforcing the rules the people above them set. Anything that improves Scottish football is a bonus.
"And anything that improves communication with fans - who are the most important people in football - is a step forward."
