MORTON legend Derek Lilley reckons young Ton striker Jai Quitongo could follow in his footsteps by winning a big money transfer – if he can add consistency to his game.

Lilley moved from the Ton to Leeds for £500,000 in 1997 and believes the young forward will also make a move to a top club if he continues to progress and develop.

The Sinclair Street hero hasn’t made it to Greenock this season due to his new work commitments as a scout for Ross County, but says he has heard rave reviews about Quitongo from all over the country.

The rising star has been in sparkling form this season, notching crucial strikes against the likes of Kilmarnock and Hamilton Accies in the Betfred League Cup earlier in the campaign, as well as Dundee United last week and Dunfermline Athletic in the league.

A prolific hitman in his day, Lilley knows a thing or two about scoring goals in blue and white. And he says that if Quitongo can keep banging them in on a regular basis, he could go on to have an extremely successful career at the highest level.

Speaking exclusively to the Tele, he said: “I was speaking to Craig [McPherson] about Jai actually because I’d read a few reports and he’d scored a couple of goals in Morton wins early in the season. 

“I’d seen the name and thought ‘I wonder if that’s José’s son?’ because I’d played with his dad.

“I asked what was he was like and Craig told me that he was a big lad, which I thought was a bit unusual because José was quite small. But he mentioned that when Jai is on his day, he can terrorise anybody, and from what I’ve been hearing everywhere it seems very, very positive.

“There’s a bit of inconsistency that comes with youth, and sometimes it’s frustrating from that perspective because you don’t quite know what you’re going to get week in, week out. But that’s the same with any young player, and the fact he’s getting an opportunity to play is crucial. Absolutely crucial. 

“I think a lot of young boys nowadays want success, but the bottom line is you’ve got to learn the game. The Championship now is probably the most competitive it’s been in the last 10 or 15 years. The players and teams you’re up against, Hibs, Dundee United, Dunfermline, Raith and now Queen of the South, are all competing, so it’s a fantastic league to cut your teeth in. It’s great that Jai is being given the chance to show what he can do.”

Lilley compared his own upbringing in the game with Quitongo’s first-team opportunities, and praised Ton boss Jim Duffy for taking a risk by blooding the 19-year-old so early in his career.  

The ex-Leeds United, Livingston and St. Johnstone forward isn’t surprised by Quitongo’s rising stock, attracting interest from Doncaster Rovers and others. Lilley reckons it’s only a matter of time until even bigger clubs start taking an interest in the youngster’s talent.

He said: “I didn’t start off playing regularly. I broke into the Morton side when I was 17, but didn’t play regularly until I went full-time at 20. So Jim [Duffy] is smart to give him his chance.

"He’s still a very young boy with a lot of potential. Physically he’s very strong and if he’s got half the pace his dad had, he’s got a chance.

“It doesn’t matter what level you look at, everybody nowadays is trying to find someone to bang you in 15 to 20 goals a season. If you can find someone who can do that, you’ll have a decent term. For someone like Jai, a young boy who has a lot of pace and is extremely strong, if he can start firing some goals in he’ll catch the eye, there’s no doubt about that, because everybody is looking for a goalscorer.

“There will be teams sniffing about, make no mistake He’s just got to keep a level head and keep performing.”

Lilley expected the Cappielow men to face a Tannadice backlash on Saturday, after they sent his other former club Dundee United crashing out of the Betfred League cup last Tuesday night.

And he says the club will be fired up for their semi-final against Aberdeen at Hampden next month.

He continued: “Morton haven’t had the best start to the season, but they’ve done really well in the cup. 

“One of my mates was at the cup game and he posted a lot of stuff on Facebook, and I thought it was a fantastic result for them.

“I didn’t realise it was their first semi-final since the 1970s.

“If I was still a Morton player I’d have been happy getting Aberdeen, considering the other teams in the hat. 

“Morton were not favourites to get through, so the result, considering what was riding on it and all the pressure, was fantastic.”