Euro dream won’t tire ‘Well

Jun 11 2008 By Chris Black

MOTHERWELL great Tommy Coyne has backed Mark McGhee’s young guns to shine in Europe next season.

Coyne was a striking sensation during his five-year stint at Fir Park between 1993 and 1998, scoring 59 times in 134 appearances.

He played in ‘Well’s disastrous UEFA Cup campaign in 1995 which saw the Steelmen crash out in the preliminary round to Finnish minnows MyPa 47 on away goals. That was ‘Well’s last appearance on the European stage but Coyne believes that McGhee’s men have the ability to thrive on the continent this time around.

He said: “It’s really difficult to qualify for Europe and you can never tell, outside of the Old Firm, who’s going to do it from one year to the next. Obviously it’s been a long time since Motherwell have been there but it was a fantastic achievement getting there this season.

“I managed to see the team five or six times last season and I was fortunate that it always seemed to be when they were taking teams apart by three or four goals. The teams they were playing were no mugs so to be doing that shows just how good Mark (McGhee) has them playing.

“He’s got them going forward well and they look like a team who really want to score when they go up the park. When Motherwell play like that they are capable of doing anything to any team.

“You can see with the Old Firm’s home record in Europe that Scotland is a difficult place to visit so I see no reason why ‘Well can’t go far in the UEFA Cup.”

The Republic of Ireland hitman, who starred for his country at the 1994 World Cup, laughed at claims that playing in Europe can have a detrimental effect on a team’s domestic form.

He said: “It’s a load of nonsense when you hear folk talking about players getting tired because you train five days a week to play on a Saturday. If you have a lot of games it just means that you cut back on the training and keep yourself fresh for the games.

“I always looked forward to playing and playing in games is what improves young players. Europe shouldn’t be a problem for ‘Well and will bring on the young lads in the squad like Clarkson and Reynolds.”

Manager McGhee will surely be hoping that his brightest stars will hang around long enough to enjoy the European nights at Fir Park. And he has already knocked back a £1 million offer from Rangers for defender Mark Reynolds while mercurial striker Ross McCormack continues to be courted by a host of clubs from south of the border.

Coyne believes that’s an inevitable aspect of the modern game for clubs like ‘Well. He added: “Motherwell need to rear their own players and they are always going to end up selling them when another club comes in because football is business.

“The Old Firm have learnt that foreigners don’t always settle so it can be better to buy local, young guys like Mark Reynolds. With a bit more experience under his belt he can be a real top quality player and he’d be a bargain for any club at £1 million.”

The 22-times capped internationalist urged all of ‘Well’s squad to make the most of every minute that they play, particularly in Europe. He said: “In less than a year I went from being a part-time footballer with Clydebank to playing in a European Cup Semi-Final for Dundee United against Roma.

“I was fortunate to play in Europe for three clubs and also at a World Cup but you never know how many opportunities like that you’ll get. So I’d say to everyone at Motherwell just to go out there and enjoy the European experience.”