Derek McInnes says Dean Campbell is on the right path to be come a top star after seeing the teenager clocking up valuable first-team minutes.
The 18-year-old has already registered 16 appearances for the Dons this season and has now been rewarded with a new deal committing him to Pittodrie until 2023.
And his manager expects him to be fulfilling his potential by the time that new deal is approaching its conclusion.
He said: “When you look back at what Dean has actually done for an 18-year-old, with his accumulation of a lot of minutes, then he is on the right path for how young players become top players, established players.
“They normally have a certain amount of minutes by a certain age and he is on track for that.
“Dean recognises he has a lot to learn but he also shown enough level of confidence, ability and performance level that we feel by giving him the longer contract that he will continue to improve.
“That is the challenge now for him, hopefully by the next time we offer him a contract it is on the back of being that established player that we want him to be.
“Dean is easy on the eye. We want him to a bit more progressive with his passing at times and pass forward more.
“There is loads that he can learn from.
“We are delighted that he has committed the next part of his career with us and we look for those improvements together.”
Campbell is hoping he gets his chance when Hamilton visit on Saturday as the Dons look to respond to last week’s 3-0 defeat to Hibernian at Easter Road.
“We are looking forward to the game tomorrow,” he said. “It is important that we bounce back after the disappointment of last week. It is chance to get home and react to the game last week and hopefully get three points.
“Our confidence was up after the Rangers game, and we were on a good run, so the result knocks us back a little bit. The most important thing now is to try and get run of wins before the winter break. I am living the dream at the moment.
“It was always my ambition to play for Aberdeen growing up.
“I think the main thing over the next few years is to cement a starting place in the team, week in week out.
“At the moment I am in and out, playing in some games and not playing in others. I need to build that consistency of performance, be that player that the manager can trust to play every week and then become a regular from that.”
