In his debut season, he made thirteen appearances but by the summer of 2001 he was out of favour with Billy Davies. When Philliben and Krivocapic took over, they gave Keith a chance in the middle of the park and he seized it with both hands. Eric Black was more than willing to use him as a first choice player and Keith is now one of the first names on the team sheet.
Keith in action
In our midfield, Stephen Pearson attracts attention for his surging runs and Scott Leitch has a reputation for his hard tackles. This keeps Lasley out of the limelight and this is something that probably won’t upset him too much. He is not especially quick but he has the skill to beat players. He is not especially strong but wins his fair share of crunching tackles. The passing side of his game could use a little work but in frequently choosing simple and effective balls, Keith rarely loses possession.
The other thing that Keith needs to improve is his goal scoring. Three goals in nearly forty appearances is hardly prolific!. Having said that, two of his three goals have been crackers - he almost ripped the net off against Hearts and Rangers at Fir Park.
Holding off two Dons
While Keith is doing well, he does need to make the step to the next level. He was the main man in our midfield at Tynecastle and though we had a successful first forty-five he (and the rest of the team) struggled to keep to task in the second half. He tends to be outshone by the likes of Pearson, Hammell and McFadden but he is a determined young man and there’s plenty of time for him to find his own limelight.
Keith reaching twenty three makes him one of the more senior players in our side. He does have the talent and if things progress as they should it will be him and not Scott Leitch who is our midfield anchor by the end of the season. Will it happen? We’ll have to wait and see.
All the best on Saturday Keith – celebrate with a goal!