Motherwell striker James Scott: Record fee would be required to sign David Turnbull

Scott (18) played alongside the midfield sensation as Turnbull (19) scored a fabulous volley in Saturday’s 1-1 home Premiership draw against St Mirren.

And Turnbull’s latest super show strengthened Scott’s belief that the £1.75 million Motherwell received from Celtic for Phil O’Donnell in 1994 could be smashed if Turnbull – who is under contract at ’Well until summer 2021 – is to depart.

“I think it would cost a lot more than the O’Donnell fee to get Turnbull,” Scott said.

“He’s a great player. It would be good for Motherwell.

“I just think he’s worth more than £1.75 million so hopefully we get more than that.

“But it’s very important that Turnbull stays with us this summer.

“He has so many attributes. He’s a great player, a team player. If he goes, he goes.

“Obviously it would be a big loss but it’s his career.

“It was a brilliant finish again on Saturday.

“He’s a great player for the team. He’s keeping us in it every week to be fair. So fair play to him.”

Turnbull’s latest strike looked set to earn ’Well three points which would have put them above St Johnstone and into seventh place.

But they had to settle for a draw after conceding a goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time when a long throw in the box broke to Kyle Magennis who scored.

“It was a right kick in the teeth,” Scott said.

“The boys are trying to defend it, it’s bounced to the edge of the 18-yard box and the guy’s just got a lucky goal to be fair.

“But you can’t do anything about it.”

To make it doubly frustrating for ’Well, they should have made the game safe just before Magennis’s strike as Elliott Frear was through on goal but shot weakly at keeper Vaclav Hladky when squaring the ball to a team-mate in the centre would surely have led to a clinching second goal.

“His (Frear’s) head must have just been all over the place,” Scott said.

“He’s just trying to obviously get the win for the boys.

“There were a couple of players with him and he should have squared it but it happens.

“So we just get on with it and hopefully take a win against St Johnstone this weekend.”

St Johnstone also dropped points on Saturday in a 1-1 home draw against Livingston, meaning that they remain two points ahead of ’Well going into this weekend’s crucial clash between the clubs at McDiarmid Park.

“We need to keep fighting, train well, eat well and hopefully we get a win against St Johnstone next week.”

Although he didn’t score against St Mirren, Scott – who has been at Motherwell for five years – again demonstrated his attributes of physical strength as he kept the St Mirren centre backs busy.

“I was just trying to back into them and help my team out,” he added.

“I’ve just got to keep fighting, get in the gym, get bigger and hopefully help my team against St Johnstone.”