Lawrence: "Butters Must Get Stronger"

By: Rob Sedgwick
Date: 02/06/2001

TOWN BOSS Lennie Lawrence believes right-sided defender Danny Butterfield is destined to become a star of the future, and that a further year at Blundell Park (agreed in principle this week) has fallen at the right moment in the 21-year-old's career to benefit both club and player.

"Staying with us is the best thing that could happen to him because if he goes there too early he could fall flat on his face" the Grimsby manager told Mariners Net, referring to an interest expressed in the Boston-born defender by a number of clubs during the preceding few weeks, including first division side Nottingham Forest. "He needs to be allowed to develop." explained Lawrence.

Lawrence in particular is looking for an increase in stamina which would allow Butterfield to improve upon his tally of 28 first team starts during the 2000-2001 campaign. "Danny is a good prospect and did very well at the back end of the season" said the Grimsby manager. "However, he has to look to play thirty five to forty games and he couldn't do that last season.

"He was out of the team in mid-season after a dip in form. The fact that he's signed a new contract is good and it should allow him to go on and get stronger."

Lawrence is also hoping to speak to out-of-contract pair Wayne Burnett and Stacy Coldicott in the next few days in a bid to end the stalemate currently halting progress in talks over new deals for the two central midfielders. This week the former-Luton boss stated his intention was to sort out the current round of contract talks before any more new faces would be brought into the dressing room.

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