VETERAN midfielder Chris Millar has challenged Morton youngsters Reece Lyon and Lewis McGrattan to keep him out of the first team next season.

The pair were standouts in the middle of the park for the reserves last season, with Lyon breaking into the senior squad.

The 19-year-old made 20 outings in his debut season, scoring twice, while McGrattan, 18, was a regular in the matchday squad and made two first team appearances from the bench.

The pair were tipped to break into the first team by previous Ton managers, with Lyon earning his first professional contract back in March, keeping him at Cappielow until 2021.

McGrattan is also signed up until next season on a youth development contract until the end of 2020, and Millar says the duo have the perfect opportunity to work hard over the summer and cement their places in Morton manager David Hopkin’s side.

He told the Tele: “I speak to Lewis and Reece quite a lot about the physical side of the game, both of them are good technical footballers. They’re both good on the ball and they’ve got a great chance of going further.

“Like any modern day player you need to be physically strong, and that’s something I try and tell them, get to the gym and get as fit and strong as you can, especially in pre-season – it’s a great time. 

“They’ve got that taste and experience of being around the first team, especially those two. They’ll work really hard over the summer and come back, fit, strong and hungry to keep older players like myself and Jim McAlister out of the team.”

The 35-year-old says that cutthroat streak is something the young players need. Between himself and the Ton’s club captain McAlister they have over 1,000 club appearances between them, with over half of those being played at Ton.

The former St Johnstone player says McGrattan and Lyon need to hold no fear in trying to displace their senior players to establish their own careers.

He added: “Ultimately from my point of view I see it as I’m trying to stay in the team, keep myself in while I’m still able to play, but the younger ones should be thinking ‘I want to finish him and get him out of the team’.

“You have to have that ruthless streak and I’m saying that about myself.

“That’s the way it is and that’s the nature of the game, but you have to have that single-mindedness and ambition to drive forward.”