Steering clear of road to nowhere

Jordan McMillan and Paul McGowan will leave the Old Firm for Hamilton in search of a regular game. James McCarthy is not prepared to make the opposite journey to familiarise himself with frustration and reserve football. (With video)

There are 26 shopping days left in the transfer window. McCarthy is one of this winter's must-have accessories but while Accies' weekly attendance has been beefed up by a battery of scouts from England and beyond, the star attraction is insistent he will not be part of the January sales.

The 18-year-old collected his first Clydesdale Bank Young Player of the Month award yesterday after playing a prominent part in Hamilton clambering off the foot of the table. Billy Reid is now negotiating the arrival of two promising loan signings to ensure the club's safety. McMillan, the Rangers reserve captain, and McGowan, the Celtic striker, are contemporaries of McCarthy.

Yet, while McCarthy approaches the 100-game threshold in his fledgling career, McMillan has yet to make the quantum leap from the bench - as beneficiary of the SPL under-21 rule - while McGowan has made two cameo appearances for Celtic, the most recent in the 2-0 victory against Villarreal at Celtic Park.

They are teenagers resigned to putting their boyhood ambitions on hold; they may even have reached the conclusion that they will have to give up on their Old Firm aspirations altogether. In contrast, Celtic, Liverpool and, most recently, Palermo, have expressed interest in McCarthy. However, until he is sure the transition from provincial to pedigree club is achievable without hindering his development, McCarthy will resist the temptations of fame and instant fortune.

"I have stuck by Hamilton and I am happy with the decision to stay here," he said. "Money is not the important thing just now, my football development is. I could maybe have gone to one of the Old Firm and sat in the reserves but I am happy to stay here and play regularly.

"Jordan and Paul are coming here to play. They haven't made the breakthrough at Rangers and Celtic yet but maybe they will come here, their clubs will notice they have got something and give them a chance."

History suggests their prospects are slim. Aiden McGeady and Shaun Maloney are the poster boys for Celtic's youth development system, while Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor are the only two homegrown talents to evolve as regular picks.

"I was hoping they would be done by now and I am frustrated it's not," said Reid yesterday. "Hopefully, it will be sorted out in the next 24 hours. I don't foresee anything going wrong but you never know. It would be wrong for me to have a go at Rangers or Celtic. The hold-up is just a couple of little things and I certainly expect the loans to go through and to have them in the squad for the Scottish Cup tie against Ross County at Dingwall on Saturday."

McCarthy is no stranger to sacrifice. He admits he doesn't see his childhood friends as regularly as he used to. At 18, and with regular day jobs, they are now indulging their curiosity in alcohol, nightlife and women.

It doesn't make them bad people but McCarthy is not only aware of his special talent but the inherent responsibility to maximise his potential. He does not drink and nights out are restricted to dinner with his football friends, Brian Easton and James McArthur.

There is no silver spoon treatment from his parents, William and Marie, but instead a solid upbringing founded on hard work and respect. As a result, McCarthy has avoided the corrosive effects of egomania. His ability is underpinned by normality. Santa delivered "clothes and stuff, the usual" while his mammy still puts his trainers in the washing machine. He is a credit to his family, his football club but, most importantly, himself.

"At first I didn't think I did too badly but now I am a lot happier with my performances in the SPL," he said. "This club is about giving kids their chance. I think Falkirk are the only other ones who are prepared to do the same with players at a young age and it is good to see young boys doing well.

"No disrespect to the SFL but I am playing against better players here and the speed of play is a lot quicker. The stadiums are better and it is just good to be part of it all. I always thought I could make the step up and I am happy with what I have done so far."

Reid is now being repaid for having the courage of his convictions. Even his father expressed reservations when he threw the then scrawny McCarthy into the first team at 15. Three years on, the manager is benefiting from the kind of self-belief that characterised his own playing career. "Young James has played more than 90 games for us and Easton and McArthur are over 100 in senior football, so that's fairly experienced nowadays," said Reid. "They are gaining SPL experience, which I think is invaluable.

"When I was James's age, I was always getting knocked back because I was so small. I played with a few teams and they always told me that. I made my debut at 19 for Queen of the South, so James is well ahead of me and I can't compare myself to him, I assure you. I was quite strong mentally even at that age. I wanted to prove people wrong, even though I was getting knocked back all the time. I was determined nothing would stop me and I went on to play over 400 games in senior football."

McCarthy is destined to follow a more illustrious path. He will be forever indebted to his manager for taking a leap of faith. "It is brilliant for somebody of my age to have played 90-odd games and it is down to the gaffer for giving me a chance when I was 15," he said. "My friends sometimes have some banter with me, asking why I am not going here or there but I am happy to play in the SPL and Hamilton is a great place to be at."

McMillan and McGowan may soon discover just how great regular first-team football can be.