JOHN Souttar’s former Dundee United team mate Mark Wilson last night branded Craig Levein’s comments about the Tannadice club nearly ruining the centre half’s career as “foolish” and “disrespectful”.

Levein claimed that Souttar had found being played in a variety of different positions at United as a youth to be “confusing” and alleged the defender hadn’t received the support that he needed.

Neither Jackie McNamara or his successor Mixu Paatelainen, the two managers who Souttar played the majority of his football under during his three years in the first team on Tayside, was available for comment yesterday.

However, the Hearts manager’s remarks provoked a furious reaction from the Tannadice club who released a strongly-worded statement yesterday defending both their handling of the player and track record developing youngsters.

And Wilson, the former Celtic and Scotland right back who played alongside Souttar during his second stint at Dundee United, has also rubbished Levein’s views.

He believes that Hearts, who have won their first five Ladbrokes Premiership games to open up a five point lead, are now benefitting from the solid grounding the centre half received in the professional game under his former manager McNamara.

The Radio Clyde pundit, who won every honour in the Scottish game during his six-and-a-half years at Parkhead, also questioned why Levein had sanctioned the signing of Souttar when he was the Hearts director of football if he was in a bad mental state.

“To say his career was nearly ruined is disrespectful to any manager, Jackie McNamara, Mixu Paatelainen, whoever,” he said. “Especially when you consider that he came through at Dundee United and got a lot of recognition at that club. He played in some big games.

“Put it this way, he did well enough for Craig Levein and Hearts to want to sign him. So it couldn’t have ruined his career that much.

“From everything I saw, John enjoyed himself there. He played with some older professionals who had been about. That certainly helped him. And it has helped him go on to bigger and better things. You have always got to be grateful to the club you started at.

“I played many games at right back with John inside me. I can’t remember him being shunted about that often. Jackie played him predominantly as a centre back. But I don’t see any problem getting moved about positions. I don’t think it harms you in any way learning different positions.

“Jackie certainly gave John his opportunity – as he did with a number of young players. But he put experienced people around about him. I was on the right of him, Gavin Gunning was on his left hand side a lot, an established goalkeeper behind him in Radoslaw Cierzniak and John Rankin in front of him.

“Remember, John was also playing with his pals. He was playing with Ryan Gauld, who he was great pals with, Andy Robertson, Stuart Armstrong and Gary Mackay-Steven. All these boys were friends. A lot of his good performances came from playing in that environment. He just loved his football.

“The comments are disrespectful to Dundee United who took him from nothing, gave him his chance and helped him through the system.

“It is foolish to say the club he came from almost ruined him. I don’t think John’s success just now with Hearts and Scotland is purely down to Hearts. It has got a great deal to do with it. Hearts are a great club and Craig Levein is a good manager. However, you have to remember where they came from and look at what information they were given when they were breaking through.”