CHRIS LAKEY Teenager hope Kris Renton could become Norwich City's youngest ever player over the next four days - but Peter Grant insists he won't force the Scottish striker into the club's record books.

CHRIS LAKEY

Teenager hope Kris Renton could become Norwich City's youngest ever player over the next four days - but Peter Grant insists he won't force the Scottish striker into the club's record books.

Renton was an unused sub at Colchester last week and if he gets on to the field at Hull today , or at home to West Brom on Monday, will beat the record set by Ryan Jarvis who, in April 2003, was just 16 years and 282 days when he played against Walsall.

Should Renton appear at the KC Stadium, he will break that record by a fortnight.

But Grant says he won't put Renton on simply for the sake of it.

“No, not at all,” he said. “I will put him on if it is the right thing to do and I think it is the right moment in the game.

“There is no doubt in my mind, I am not one for records. I am not one for geeing people up because it gives them the record. I want to look after the team and I want to win the game. If it means he is going to help me win the game I'll put him on. If it means he is not, he won't be on the pitch.

“If I think they can do a job and deserve a place in the group they will be there.”

Renton has four more games - this weekend plus the games against Leicester and then Burnley on April 17 - to break the record, although he was close last weekend at Layer Road.

“The only reason he never went on last week was the fact that we were losing 3-0,” said Grant. “I would have definitely played him last week, I was wanting to play him at one stage - one because Dion (Dublin) had knock and also the fact that Chrissy (Martin) was struggling.

“But you always remember your debut and I didn't want him to remember it on that performance, that's for sure.”

Grant watched Renton play just his third game for City's reserves on Monday night as the young Scot's education at Carrow Road continued since his arrival last July.

“He has done very well,” said Grant. “He is only 16 and I have seen a big improvement in his game.

“I think he has got a little bit of confidence after getting selected for Scotland - I have seen that confidence come to him. He is raw, but he has got the raw materials.

“He is 16 and has come into the game late as well - he was playing for a boys club team in Scotland and he was spotted late so, and I don't mean any disrespect, but he has not been coached consistently, like some of the boys coming through this Academy since they were eight years of age.

“Kris has never been in this sort of environment, so there is a lot of rawness there which is great. I love that rawness because I think sometimes early in your career you get things coached out of you because of us coaches, we take the goodness out of them.

“That rawness he has got - I watched him at a bounce (friendly) match last week and he did exceptionally well. I watched him in a reserve match in the week and he was unlucky not to score, he got in great areas.

“He could have played better and he knows that and he was disappointed, so he knows the standard he has set himself and that's a good thing for a kid of 16.”