Sunderland boss Roy Keane will use the tried and tested Manchester United method as he coaxes £2million signing Anthony Stokes through his early days on Wearside.
The former United captain witnessed how United manager Alex Ferguson handled the emergence of the likes of Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and the Neville brothers at Old Trafford.
Stokes arrived at the Stadium of Light from Arsenal on Monday after scoring 16 goals in 18 games on loan at Scottish Premier League side Falkirk, and while he is likely to be thrust into the battle for promotion to the Barclays Premiership, Keane will keep a protective arm around the 18-year-old.
Asked if he would take a similar approach to that of Ferguson, he said: 'I hope so. We will have to keep an eye out for him, of course. Even last week, it was a hectic few days for the lad.
'As much as it was a great position he was in, speaking to two or three clubs, it is quite hard.
'A lot of pressure was put on him by certain people and what helped us was that we did not put him under any pressure. I think that is why he came here.'
Celtic and Charlton had hoped to land the Republic of Ireland Under-21 international, and the Dubliner admitted it has been a tough decision so early in his career.
Stokes said: 'It was very tough, probably the biggest decision of my career.
'But I am happy with my decision and now I just want to get on with the football.
'It is a club on the rise. Roy Keane explained where he saw the club going and what he thought of me.
'I just took all that into consideration and thought it was the right place to develop.'
Keane is convinced he has one of the most exciting young talents around, and while he is quick to point out his lack of experience, he is confident the youngster can live up to the expectation.
He said: 'That is part of life. There are going to be expectations, but as long as he is working hard for the team, we will be delighted. As long as he meets my expectations, we will be delighted.
'He is 18 but people should not underestimate the goals he scored in Scotland.
'People will always look and say it was in Scotland, but he was playing for Falkirk, he was not playing for Celtic or Rangers where they create a lot of chances.
'Credit to him for that and credit to him for leaving Arsenal to go out on loan and try his luck.'
Stokes, who is likely to be involved in Saturday's Coca-Cola Championship clash with Ipswich, is aware of the expectation but insists he will not allow it to get to him.
He said: 'I am just going to get on with my football and if I do get a game or get on, try to take my chances.'
Sunderland's investment in Stokes takes the club's spending since the Drumaville consortium assumed control during the summer to around £8.6million, although the departures of Julio Arca, George McCartney, Kevin Kyle, Liam Lawrence, Rory Delap, Neill Collins, Ben Alnwick, Dan Smith and Kelvin Davis have recouped around £5.6million.
