RONAN Hughes is determined to make the breakthrough at Hamilton – three years after making his debut.
The midfielder was handed a first-team run out as a 17-year-old in 1-0 defeat to Inverness in May 2016.
But only a handful of first-team appearances followed over the next couple of campaigns and Hughes spent last season on loan with Stirling Albion.
But Hughes, who started in Hamilton’s penalty shoot-out Betfred Cup group stage defeat to Queen’s Park on Saturday, believes his time at Stirling has set him up to challenge for a spot in Brian Rice’s side.
Hughes said: “When I made my debut a few years ago I hoped that would be the start of it, but I never quite got a run at it.
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“There are people like George Cairns around the club who keep your spirits up and he told me to keep working hard.
“I knew I was young and had a long way to go, so I just got my head down and when the chance came to go along to jump at it.
“This season is a fresh start for everyone and the gaffer has said that. He told us no one is certain to play it is what you do at training every day and those that impress will start.
“In training he always wants perfection from your passing and that is great to see. It raises the standards in training and hopefully that will rub off in games.
“I hope this is the season I can impress. I just have to get my chance and when it comes, I have to take it and try and get games under my belt.
“I was on loan last year and I enjoyed it. I feel I have come a long way since then and hopefully this year I can get my chance in the first team.
“It was great to play for the first team and it is different to playing reserve and development football. It is a lot more physical and it is the men’s game but I loved it.
“When you are playing development football you are playing against guys you have faced for years. But at Stirling I was against new players and guys who have been around the block. I feel that it was better for me.”
Hamilton head coach Rice has vowed to give his young players their chance to shine this season.
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And Hughes insists when he sees players he has come through the ranks with starring for the first team that spurs him to do the same.
He said: “There are a few young boys coming through together and it is good as you have played in the same team for years. You know what they are like and how they play.
“But the experienced boys have been great to us and they have really helped us out at training with advice and things.
“It is great to see your pals getting a chance in the first-team, now I want to be part of that.”
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