JASON Roberts has hailed the contribution made to the side by Phil Jones, but has advised the young defender not to get too carried away just yet.

18-year-old Jones has stepped into the starting eleven due to an injury to captain Ryan Nelsen and hasn't looked out of place in his four Barclays Premier League outings to date, with Roberts hugely impressed.

"Jonesy has been fantastic," said Roberts. "Everybody wants to see local boys come through and do well.

'He's a good lad and someone that the boys like to have around so I'm glad to see him doing do well."

As much as Roberts has been delighted with the young central defender's outings thus far, the striker knows that Jones has a long way go before he can call himself an established Premier League footballer.

"I know players who have played five or six good matches and then disappeared off the scene, we obviously want to make sure that isn't the case with Jonesy," added Roberts.

"I'm sure he's keeping his feet on the ground and making sure he is making the right decisions so he can go on and be a top-flight player who has played for three or four seasons.

"He's a good kid, he seems to have the right people around him, he's a level-headed boy and I'm delighted for him and the other young boys that have come through this season. I think it is exciting times ahead for them.

"Hopefully if we are still talking about them in three or four years time then they'll have really done the business, and you hope that is the case."