Polworth thrilled to finally follow path blazed by Christie
RYAN CHRISTIE’S patience at the pace of his journey to Celtic stardom may have been tested at points by backward and sideway steps taken after joining the club. Yet it was the other Inverness CT academy colleague touted for the top at the same time Christie broke through whose tolerance has been tested most.
Liam Polworth’s outstanding first four months at Motherwell has led to the question: What has taken him so long to break through?
It’s a poser that began to perturb the midfielder himself long before he spread wings and left Caley Thistle eight years after his debut.
Fir Park boss Stephen Robinson is touting him for a Scotland call. Portsmouth have been linked with interest in cutting short his Fir Park fun in January. Team-mates talk glowingly of his deliveries and killer ball which have helped make Motherwell thirdplace contenders and one of the most exciting teams to watch in the division.
Of course, his assist count is no surprise following 25 in all competitions for Inverness in 2017/18 and 21 last term.
The baffling aspect is no team moved to seal a deal before Motherwell arranged a pre-contract in the spring for the 25-year-old to return to the top flight.
‘I was more ready for it than nervous,’ said Polworth. ‘I just knew it was something I needed to do. I thought about it for a while before it actually happened. And it is something that has worked out well for me.
‘I was ready to go a few times but the door kept shutting in my face. You think: “Is this ever going to happen?” When I was coming out of contract, I knew I was leaving. But where? I was unsure.’
Polworth admits that stagnation setting in may have affected his approach to improvement and, therefore, proved offputting to prospective parties.
‘When you are there for a while you get into bad habits,’ he explained. ‘I knew when I joined Motherwell I needed to work a lot harder just to get in the team.
‘Up at Inverness, I knew I would play almost every week. I had got into a rut. When I came here the manager made it clear everyone would have to work hard for their spot. I have stepped up a level because I knew I had to put a lot more hard work in on and off the pitch.’
Polworth was at Inverness from the age of eight, playing through the age groups with Christie.
They started for the club for the first time six months apart in the 2013/14 season and while Polworth was first to show, the highlights reel of his younger team-mate outshone him.
Ronny Deila managed Celtic when Christie was lured in September 2015 and his club consented to a loan back. Two impressive spells at Aberdeen were then required to prime him for the Celtic first team where he is currently shaping like a Player of the Year candidate.
One of his six league goals came against Motherwell on the second Saturday of the season, a week after a hat-trick at home to St Johnstone.
‘Before he went he was pretty much dragging the Inverness team along himself at such a young age,’ recalled Polworth. ‘He deserved his move at that time. Ryan went on to do really big things. I don’t think I set my sights on following in his footsteps.
‘Everyone saw it as a massive achievement for someone from that area to go on and play for Celtic.
‘But plenty of people were telling me it was something I needed to do.’
A direct and uncompromising unit early in Robinson’s reign, Polworth (below) has been a key performer in the second phase of an attractive Motherwell makeover.
He is the perfect foil for Allan Campbell in the middle of the park, scarcely gives the ball away and has scary speed and attacking intent all around him including Jermaine Hylton, Sherwin Seedorf and Devante Cole to feed off his precision passing.
‘It’s a massive help to have players as quick as we’ve got either side of you,’ he noted. ‘It doesn’t have to be a perfect pass when they are that fast. It makes things happen. ‘I definitely get as much pleasure providing the assists. It’s part of the game as a midfielder. Obviously I’d love to score more goals than I do but if someone else is scoring and we are winning I’m happy with that.
‘The manager demands a lot of hard work but he makes sure we get on the ball. It is something he encourages. He doesn’t mind if you lose the ball as long as you take it. That is something as a midfielder I was delighted to hear.’