DUMBARTON manager Stevie Aitken has tipped midfielder Ryan Clark to be a success at Arthurlie after sanctioning the youngster’s loan move to Dunterlie, writes Kyle Crawford.

Clark has joined Lie’s ranks until the end of the season, a move Aitken says will toughen up the 18-year-old.

Aitken has high hopes for the central midfield player, but insists under-20s football is not competitive enough for Clark to develop, so has allowed a move to Aitken’s former club until the end of the season.

He said: “Ryan has been doing well in the under-20s, he has come back from a bad injury (a broken leg sustained in August 2015) and we want to try to progress him.

“We think the best way to do that is to give him a spell in the juniors, which is a level up from what he has played at and see how he does.

“We have been really impressed with Ryan so it’s the right thing to put him in this environment and see how he handles that.”

Aitken has backed Clark to make the step up to the juniors from under-20s football. The Sons boss has entrusted Lie boss Robert Downs with the player for the rest of the campaign, but he is confident Clark has the ability and mental toughness to handle himself in the more rough and tumble environment of the juniors.

With Arthurlie second bottom of the Super League Premier Division, they face some crunch games in the coming weeks and, despite the pressure being on, Aitken is convinced Clark can be an asset to Downs.

He said: “Under-20s is good in terms of development, but it is not competitive enough for me. Sometimes we go to under-20s games at Premiership level and leave at half-time because it is not competitive enough.

“Players need competitive games, it will certainly toughen him up.

“Arthurlie will have some big games so it is a great opportunity for him. If he gets a chance and performs in these big games it will do wonders for him and hopefully he can help Arthurlie as well.

“It’s a good club for him as well, I’ve been at Arthurlie and there’s a lot of good people there. Sending young players to the juniors is something we will continue to look at.”