FORMER Hibs striker Keith Wright insists Steven Fletcher's lucrative move south has come too soon, and fears that his weaknesses will be ruthlessly exposed in the Barclays Premier League.
The 22-year-old signed for Owen Coyle's Burnley yesterday after Hibs accepted a £3 million offer that made him the Clarets' record signing.
The Scotland cap was the subject of a failed bid from Celtic in January and, although the player had repe
atedly voiced desires to move on, new Easter Road manager John Hughes had been hopeful of persuading him to stay for at least another season.
Wright, who has closely followed Fletcher's development since he broke into the Hibs first-team as a 17-year-old, reckons the striker would have benefited from continuing to ply his trade in the capital.
Speaking as he and former team-mate Mickey Weir launched Hibs' tours of Easter Road, he said: "It's a big loss to Hibs but I've watched him progressing over the last three or four years and I still don't think he's the finished article yet. I think he's away too early and, for me, he's still got a lot to learn to play at the top, top level.
"Money talks and he's obviously going to earn a lot more money down south and he's going to take the chance. On both fronts, as a supporter and also as an ex-striker looking at the way he plays, I love watching him and when he's enjoying his football and playing every week he's one of the top players in the division.
"But I fear that he might be a bit-part player down south, and not enjoy it as much."
Wright confesses that the lure of the self-proclaimed best league in the world and the money on offer south of the border would be difficult for any player to resist.
However, having spotted shortcomings in Fletcher's link-up play and goal-scoring in watching him from the stands, the 44-year-old Skol Cup winner is concerned Fletcher may struggle against some of the global superstars he will face next season.
He added: "I never had the opportunity but I would imagine you can't resist the Premiership when it comes calling.
"If agents are talking about the silly figures they're talking about then, one, you want to test yourself and, two, you want to earn that money. I can definitely see why he's going because it's too big an opportunity to turn down.
"Hopefully he goes there and does well, he's been good for Hibs and Hibs have been good for him. But, even watching him in international games, I just feel he's still got a bit to learn against the top players.
"He's never going to be a John Robertson type, an instinctive finisher.
"He scores a lot of goals from 25 yards or 12 yards and he's got to learn to be more of a penalty-box striker, where he's anticipating more in the box and that will come with age.
"In his link-up play, for me, he tries to be too clever at times when an easier pass is on and moves break down because of it.
"He's maybe not had too much stick for that but at the top level if moves break down he'll soon find out it's not good enough."
The full article contains 568 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
