Strachan believes ‘mini Messi’ has a Sporting chance

Gordon Strachan doesn’t agree with Ryan Gauld being labelled ‘Mini Messi’.

But he has given the former Dundee United protege’s move to Portugal his seal of approval.

The Scotland manager is pleased to see the 18-year-old decide to further his footballing education abroad after landing a £2m switch from Tannadice to Sporting Lisbon.

Gauld could have held out for a move to England, with several clubs interested in securing his services. But he believes heading abroad offers a better chance to develop as a player.

And Strachan is hopeful the switch to the Continent will work out well for a youngster he already holds in high regard.

He said: “It is a brave move. I like what he has done. It will be great now to watch his improvement. I really don’t know how it will affect his development, we will have to monitor it and see how he gets on.

“Let’s allow him to enjoy his first few months there, see how he beds in and take it from there. Someone called him ‘Mini Messi’. Whoever did that needs to take a good look at themselves.

“Ryan should be able to call Childline or something like that to complain! How cruel can you be to a young player?

“But I think he’s been really brave to do it as a kid, although travel and communication are much easier now than they were 20 or 30 years ago.

“It would have been really daunting then, but it should be easier now. He’ll get to learn a new language and live in a more relaxed culture.”

Strachan knows the importance of making big decisions in a bid to reach the top as a footballer.

He moved out his family home at the age of 15 when technology wasn’t as advanced as it is now, which can make moving away a less frightening prospect.

Strachan laughed: “I moved from Edinburgh to Dundee when I was 15 and lived in digs. If you are away from home, you’re away from home. I left home because I wanted to be a footballer and I got £13 a week.

“It took me about two hours on the train to get to Dundee. It now takes about two hours on a flight to get to Portugal.

“So I like what Ryan has done, to try and add to his football career and take on different information. People say the Portuguese always turn out good young players, but they are different people from us.”

Strachan says he will continue to monitor Gauld’s progress but is refusing to heap any pressure on the teenager.

“To be fair, £2-million in world football terms now is not a lot of money. I don’t think the move caused a ripple anywhere else in the world.

“There wasn’t anyone walking around Rio this month saying: ‘Oh, Ryan Gauld’s away to Lisbon for £2 million and Suarez has just taken a bite out of someone’.

“So it’s something Ryan can just get on with now. I don’t think it’s a big thing.

“We will just leave communication with Ryan to the people he has already been dealing with at the SFA in the youth and under-21 teams, the ones he trusts and gets on with.

“Once he gets in the first team at Sporting, then the senior coaches will get involved.

“He certainly has great talent and vision. I hope he can progress and get to where he definitely has a chance of reaching in the game.”