Motherwell manager Stephen Robinson has no concerns over the mind-set of Trevor Carson after Celtic’s attempts to buy him were rebuffed by the club this week.

In fact, if Carson can keep up the fine form he has shown since arriving at the club in the summer, he says that the goalkeeper will soon attract an offer that Motherwell can’t refuse.

Robinson expects the Fir Park number one to soon be the first-choice keeper for his country too, but he reiterated that Motherwell will be the ones to decide when a fair value for their players has been met.

“It is human nature that if a club like Celtic come in your head will be turned,” Robinson said.

“Trevor remains focused and remains a Motherwell player on a two-and-a-half-year contract.

“When the players are starting to call the shots or other clubs set the parameters as to when we sell we might as well all go home. That is not case. Yes, we are a club that sells players, but I set the parameters.

“It will be done when I’m ready to replace people and when we get the right fee.

“He has come to people’s attention because he is a very good goalkeeper.

“A lot of people are talking about him and I believe he will go on to be Northern Ireland’s number one in the very near future. Then his profile will be completely raised.

“I’ve no doubt somewhere along the line we will lose Trevor Carson, but it will be on the club’s terms.”

It isn’t the first time that Robinson has had to deal with such a situation with one of his players, with the fine form of many of them in the past year consistently attracting interest from elsewhere.

“I’ve had the same conversation with Louis Moult, Ben Heneghan and Marvin Johnson when he was here previously,” he said.

“They are now probably on triple the wages they would have got they got their original move.

“If people come in with five hours of the window left it is really hard to replace that kind of quality.”

Motherwell were left disappointed after a last-gasp deal for a striker fell through at the last minute on deadline day, but Robinson will continue to scour for free agents who may fit the bill.

“We thought we had a good striker and that was the disappointment,” he said.

“When I left here to go to the Hibs game the boy was on his way here to sign.

“But, by the time the game finished the deal was off. You have to deal with that.”

Robinson is gearing his men up for the first game in what he believes will be a crucial juncture in the Steelmen’s season at home to Partick Thistle this afternoon.

“I think the next three weeks are huge for us,” he said. “They will dictate our season.

“They will determine whether we are fighting at the bottom or up in the top six.

“Thistle have turned the corner and we have to be right on the money.”