CRAIG SIBBALD is the prototype for a new kind of Scottish footballer.
The 16-year-old Falkirk winger, who is set to feature in the Scottish Communities League Cup semi-final against Celtic on Sunday, is a poster boy for the SFA's performance school programme, having been one of the first successful graduates from the association's pilot scheme at the town's Graeme High School.
On the day the programme was rolled out nationwide, the player made an expert witness on the success story it has proved to date as well as the unforeseen teething problems which must often be endured when you uproot a group of talented teenagers from their natural habitat to hot-house them in the game together.
Not only did Sibbald have to abandon most of his school friends to make his way in the game, he then faced an uncertain welcome when he was parachuted into an alternative school across the city. "I was meant to be going to Falkirk High, but the football academy was at Graeme High so I had to leave all my pals, which in first year was quite tough," the 16-year-old said.
"At the start, it was hard because I never really knew anyone. I even considered leaving as I just wasn't enjoying it. The other kids thought we were big time and nobody was really talking to us. But after a while we started getting more pally with everyone and, in the end, I was glad I stayed. I definitely think the performance schools are a good thing, because every day you work on your touch and technique. The extra hours definitely help."
Sibbald's close control and trickery played a role in two of his side's three goals against Rangers earlier in the season, but beating the Parkhead club at Hampden on Sunday would be sweeter still.
The Scotland Under-17 player was on the youth ranks at Celtic for 12 months as a 10-year-old, and win, lose or draw at the weekend, the player knows an appearance in a major cup semi-final is far more than he could reasonably have expected had he remained within the Parkhead system.
An interesting counterpoint exists with his contemporary and fellow Graeme High graduate Paul McMullan, who recently signed a contract at Celtic, but still seems a long way away from his maiden senior appearance.
"Leaving Celtic was definitely the best thing that ever happened to me," Sibbald said. "I started at Falkirk when I was eight then I went to Celtic when I was around 10, but they dropped me and I went back to Falkirk again. I was always on the bench at Celtic, then they told me they were letting me go. I knew there and then I wanted to go back to Falkirk.
"I am just happy to be getting my chance here now," he added. "You see a lot of the other Celtic players now and they're not really getting a chance so, if I was still there now, I don't think I would be being talked about as someone who could move on. Islam Feruz was a year older than me, but it is the some of the boys in the Scotland squad with me that I remember, guys like Lewis Kidd and Jamie Lindsay were in the same team as me. Paul McMullan also went to Graeme High, and he has a professional contract with Celtic now too. It's all good."
Sibbald's previous Hampden experiences amount to attending Scotland matches and being part of the Falkirk support as he watched Rangers triumph 1-0 in the 2009 Scottish Cup final. "It was a good day out. I wasn't on the books or anything back then, I was just there as a fan. But Sunday will be the biggest game of my life, so far. Hopefully I will get a start."
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