Dong failed to find the net at all for the Reserves in his first 15 appearances but has looked a different player since bagging a brace against Stockport County in November.

"You have to look at the circumstances with Dong," McClair told ManUtd.com. "It took him a little while to settle in Belgium with Royal Antwerp, it's been a big change for him again coming here and it's taken him a while to adjust.

"One of the major problems for Dong was that he hadn't scored a goal, so he was very keen to do that and much of his decision-making was based on his desperation to score. That's not the be-all and end-all when you're looking at footballers."

With the Reserves well in the hunt for silverware going into the New Year, Choccy is hopeful that Dong can be central to a successful second half of the season.

"Since scoring he's come into form and we're looking for him to improve and impress over the next few months and see where he ends up," said McClair.