Motherwell boss Steven Hammell admits it was no surprise to see 16-year-olds Lennon Miller and Luca Ross handle their big moments at Ibrox so well last night.
Striker Luca landed his first team debut in the 3-0 defeat to Rangers and almost had a moment to remember when he came close to scoring just seconds after coming on for Blair Spittal in the 81st minute, while midfielder Lennon made his league debut in claret and amber when he replaced Callum Slattery in the 66th minute.
Both teenagers looked accomplished as they got their first taste of a big stadium atmosphere and their involvement was one of few highlights for the Fir Park gaffer, as his depleted side slipped to 10th in the Premiership table heading into 2023.
Hammell, who was the club's youth academy director before taking the first team reins from Graham Alexander in July, has brought the youngsters through from a very young age and is thrilled to see them blossom into first team players so quickly.
He beamed: "Both of them conducted themselves really well, particularly Lennon.
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"It is not surprising to me. They are two hugely talented players.
"They came on the pitch out of necessity. It wasn't a case of getting young boys some minutes on the pitch - we needed them.
"They stood up to it, they looked composed and they didn't look out of place."
On Luca's big opportunity, which saw him denied by Allan McGregor inside the six-yard box, Hammell added: "He should have scored!
"But he understands the way we want to play. I've known him since he was a young kid.
"I have been a big part of his development as a player and he will go on to be a big player for Motherwell in the future."
Wishaw starlet Lennon made his debut in August during a 4-0 win over Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the League Cup, but both he and Luca have been on the bench throughout the season.
Hammell insists they will continue to be involved in the second part of the season, as 'Well bid to climb the table.
He said: "They have [a bigger role to play]. They are in the squad and those two are part of it.
"They are both fresh out of school and recently turned 16. They train with us every day, they are a big part of what we are doing and they will be going forward."
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