Declan Devine has hailed James Douglas as a "special talent" and a "Rolls Royce" player. The young midfielder is one of several youngsters making their mark at the Oval this season.
Douglas scored the winning goal in Tuesday's BetMcLean Cup win over Linfield at Windsor Park, the 18-year-old's deflected strike earning the Glens a 1-0 victory at Windsor Park.
The teenager made his senior debut against Crusaders at the tail end of last season, and Devine says it was evident the youngster "belongs on this stage" after watching him impress in the game.
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"James Douglas is a special talent. He is a real shining light," Devine said.
"There was a meaningless game at the end of last season when we played Crusaders. It didn't mean anything and he played in that for his debut. I could just see he belonged at this level.
"We want to produce our own players. Yes, you go after the top talent out there, but we have a brilliant academy here which is producing young players.
"James is a shining light for that. Aaron Wightman is another, so is Jonny Russell. They all came through the academy.
"So to have those three players on the pitch at Windsor Park, and seeing out a win, is fantastic for the club. I am sure James and his family, and all the coaches who have worked with him, should be extremely proud.
"He is a Rolls Royce player. He can mix it up, put his foot in, put his body on the line and he has a lot of good qualities when he is on the ball.
"He got a wee bit of luck with his deflection, but the fact he was up there and still had energy to burn. I am delighted for him."
Glentoran are back in Premiership action on Saturday following their BetMcLean Cup heroics. Devine's side host Ballymena United in their latest league instalment.
Inconsistency has plagued the Glens' season so far, a problem punctuated by last week's 2-2 draw away to basement side Loughgall.
Devine said: “The performance against Linfield was full of passion, discipline, and determination—exactly the reaction I wanted to see after the disappointment of Loughgall. It showed the players’ hunger to put things right and their commitment to delivering for the fans. But as I’ve always said, consistency is key.
“We’ve proven in cup competitions what we’re capable of when we play to our strengths. Now, it’s about taking that same mentality and applying it consistently in the league. The players have shown they can rise to big occasions, but at this club, that level of performance is expected every single week.
“The standard was set on Tuesday, and now it’s about sustaining it. Ballymena will be a tough test, but it’s exactly the type of challenge we need. We must stand up, take responsibility, and ensure we deliver a performance that earns a positive result.”
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