Stoke City manager Mark Hughes has told Manchester United starlet Adnan Januzaj that he needs to become tougher if he is going to be a success in the Premier League.
Following their 3-0 win at Aston Villa on Sunday, David Moyes complained that the officials were not doing enough to protect the 18-year-old. Ahead of their Capital One Cup meeting on Wednesday, Hughes feels that there are two sides to the argument.
"A manager will always protect his players and he is an outstanding talent and will be a top United player for many years to come," Hughes told the press. "If David feels the boy needs protection that is why he has given the response he did, but you have to let kids stand on their two feet and get on with it.
"He seems to garner a lot of fouls and a lot of decisions. In our game he came on as sub and got about five fouls in a very short space of time. At the time I didn't think they were fouls."
"Ryan [Giggs] was playing in the Lancashire A and B leagues and had to go to the likes of Marine away. When you are a 14-year-old kid coming up against men you learn to deal with that early and I don't think it is a bad thing. I would imagine [Giggs] is mentoring him now because he's been in the same place."
Stoke host United for a place in the semi-finals of the Capital One Cup at the Britannia Stadium on Wednesday night.
Matt Cotton
