Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Footballer Ross made in Dundee
EX-CELTIC winger Ross Wallace has praised his football upbringing in Dundee and insisted it was the making of him.
The former Lawside Academy pupil, now at St Mirren, is in the 18th campaign of an illustrious career that has seen him win the title, League Cup and Scottish Cup with the Hoops, and the English Championship with Sunderland.
He also starred in the English Premier League with the Black Cats and Burnley.
In an Open Goal interview with fellow-Dundonian and exParkhead youngster Si Ferry, he reflected on learning the game in the City of Discovery and being discovered by a 70-year-old scout called Shaun Smith.
Smith also spotted the likes of Michael Gardyne, Mark Fotheringham, Gary Fraser and Graham Fyfe.
Wallace, 34, said: “It was the making of me. I was at Dundee West and no scouts came to see us – we were all s***.
“I had to go and play for
Dundee United Social Club because Charlie Adam’s old man (Charlie Adam Snr) was the manager and that’s where all the scouts went.
“So my dad was like, ‘Come on let’s go to the other side – let’s play for them’.
“Young Charlie was good, just brilliant. Left peg – just what he’s doing now, banging them in, free-kicks.
“His dad was a scary big guy but a lovely man. I don’t even think he really was the manager – he was the coach.
“But he used to take all the tactics and tell us what to do.”
Celts’ talent spotter Smith saw potential in the Dundee lads – which also included Peterhead midfielder Ferry – and Wallace praised his training. He added: “He only took a select few, four or five or six players that he thought could go through to Glasgow.
“We worked on one-on-one stuff all the time. Crossing balls in, l ots of shooting, l ots of passing.”
Wallace, who was on trial at Dundee in January, made his breakthrough in the senior ranks under Martin O’Neill.
But he admits he initially struggled to adapt to life away from his home city.
The former Fleetwood and Sheffield Wednesday man said: “That first two weeks I hated it, absolutely hated it. Eventually, through meeting all the lads, it was fine.”