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It looks as if Pep Clotet is very much keeping his car in first gear on the matter, not quite ready to put his pedal to the metal.

The Birmingham boss appears to be taking the cautious approach when it comes to City’s hottest prospect Jude Bellingham.

Speaking to Birmingham Live, Clotet talked about how he has managed the 16-year-old and that he has to look after his long term development:

“He [Bellingham] has surprised me very much, first of all he surprised me at Leeds because they way they play I knew it would be very demanding on the midfield. When I sub Jude, most of the time it’s to save to his legs a little bit because he copes differently with the load, I am trying to think long-term with him.

“On Tuesday I think he could have kept playing a little bit more but we subbed him for that same reason. Eventually he will be able to handle the load and go and establish himself without any problems.”

It’s good to see a manager being pragmatic about how he wants to use a young player.

The hype surrounding Bellingham from Birmingham fans has been quite loud in quarters around St Andrew’s. Whilst the youngster may be the talk of the town among the supporters, it is imperatively crucial that Clotet manages him properly going forward.

After all, he does not want to risk him suffering from burnout at such an early age so his quotes show the teenager could definitely end up reaping the rewards down the line.

The problem with someone like Bellingham, however, is that there is someone in there that can help the Blues out.

That can be seen by his two winning goals against Stoke City and Charlton Athletic, and the fact he can play anywhere across the midfield, means that he won’t be short of opportunities to impress.

But if they put too much on his young legs at this stage in his career, they are at risk of his development not reaching the heights that are possible.

So whilst they may be saving his minutes now, it’s very much with his long term future in mind.

And the more the fans can see him in a Blues shirt, the better.

Clotet is making exactly the right call on him.