Albion will do all they can to help teen star Aaron Connolly make it to the top.

But head coach Graham Potter says the 19-year-old already has the level-headed approach – and the team-mates – to ensure he makes the most of his talent.

Potter must decide whether to start Connolly at Aston Villa tomorrow after a demanding fortnight for club and country.

But he has spelt out why the future is bright for the new Republic of Ireland international.

Potter said: “He is a good lad, he has got a good family.

“My impression of him is that he is a level-headed lad. Nothing too alarming there.

“He knows the opportunity he has to have a career at this level for as long as he can.

“That requires not getting too carried away when things go well and not too down when things don’t go well. That is the career as a footballer.

“Try to be hard-working at all times and humble and that will help him sustain a career “He is lucky he is in a good dressing room with good lads who will look after him.”

Potter managed Dan James carefully at Swansea City last season as talk of moves to Leeds and Manchester United swirled.

The ex-Swans boss said: “With Dan it was just a case of, to start with, make sure he is not playing every minute of a Championship season.

“It was his first season in the Championship. It was Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday.

If you are a sprinting player like Dan, and Aaron, it is hard to sustain that.

“You can build up to it and in the end he did.

“By the end he was enjoying his football.

“When you are in the Championship and teams like Manchester United are interested, it’s just a case of making sure he understands he should enjoy how he is playing football and stay level in terms of the noise outside him.

“That is the best way to be.

“When Aaron comes in here, we are quite consistent with that “We won’t get too carried away with him but we believe in him, of course.”

Potter watched television coverage of the Republic’s 2-0 defeat by Switzerland in a game that was almost called off due to a waterlogged pitch.

That heavy going could influence his decision a whether to start Connolly at Villa.

Potter said: “The pitch was a bit less than Premier League.

“Away at Switzerland is not an easy game to go into but he will learn from the experience.

“He has had a lot of excitement and a lot of exposure but he can deal with that.

“It’s more the way he plays football. He is a sprinter.

“We have to be sure he can bring himself to the game every time he is on the pitch, just like every player.

“Whether it is the start or the last 30 minutes when the game gets stretched.

“He can influence the game at different stages.”