Alex Lowry scored a dramatic last minute winner for Hearts against Kilmarnock in the Viaplay Cup and the Rangers loanee has been urged to kick on.
A stop-start loan spell has seen the 20-year old fail to get off the bench recently but his manager made the right decision at Rugby Park.
Speaking to Viaplay, Hearts manager Steven Naismith is hoping that Alex Lowry can us his well-taken goal as motivation to prove his talent more often.
It was a moment that could easily have seen a lesser player take a wild swing at the cut back from Liam Boyce.
Alex Lowry has shown for Rangers that he isn’t one to rush his shots at goal and Naismith is hoping that this is the first of many.
Alex Lowry set target as he looks to prove Rangers worth
In his post-match interview with Viaplay Naismith revealed what he said to Alex Lowry before coming off the bench as a late sub and what his aspirations are for the Rangers loanee:
“Seeing it back it was an unbelievable bit of composure. I’ve said it a lot, Alex has unbelievable ability. He’s got real high quality but we need to see more of it.
“We need to see consistency and him having the end product.
“That’s been the thing I’ve questioned to him and wanted him to show me and that’s what I said before he came on.
“He has that. You see the composure to drag back, he’s in full control and there’s bodies everywhere and there’s not much of the goal to see but he’s found the composure to score it.
“I know that’s what he can do but we need to see it all the time and hopefully this will give him the confidence to do that.”
Naismith is a good manager for Alex Lowry at this stage of his Rangers career.
He knows what it takes as a young player and how to make the transition from talented youth to established first teamer.
Lowry is known for his goal contributions from midfield and his latest finish is, as Naismith explains, the perfect example of what his is capable of.
The Scotland youth cap didn’t play many games last season so it’s not a surprise to see a lack of consistency so far despite his hard work in the summer but, with talent like this, he has proven than he should get his chance.
