BRING ON THE YOUNG GUNS
Starlets can shine for us, says Burgh boss McKim
Manager Jamie McKim is forging ahead with his masterplan to make Johnstone Burgh the best young side in Junior football.
The West Division Two champions lost just once last season called despite boasting one of the youngest teams in the division.
Led by 21- year- old captain Niall Heron, Burgh won 13 of 14 games before being declared league winners on an average points per game basis after coronavirus shut down football across the UK.
With the lockdown still in full effect, McKim is on the hunt for an ambitious manager to front up the club’s new development squad.
And he believes the way his side is built around youngsters is the perfect incentive for the prospective candidate and new players to get involved as the team prepare for their maiden season in the new West of Scotland Football League Conference A.
He told Express Sport: “I’ve wanted a development squad in place since I joined and given the amount of spare time we have now is the time to get this in place.
“We need to get the right person in who shares our values because we want this to run side-by-side with the junior team.
“Young players can move into the main squad and if injured players need time to get back up to speed then they can work with the development squad. It benefits both.
“The biggest selling point for me is that our current captain Niall Heron is just 21 and he has already played more than 80 games at this level.
“The players in this squad will have a chance to progress if they work hard and prove themselves worthy of it. The average age of our squad was around 23 last season which shows I’ve got no concerns about putting in youngsters if they’re good enough.
“Niall is the youngest captain in Scottish junior footall and I’m the youngest manager. Age isn’t everything in football, you need to have the right attitude above all else.”
The squad will play in the Lowland Development League next season, with several players already reaching verbal agreements to link up. Several applications for the manager’s job were made within just 24 hours of the vacancy being advertised.
McKim, currently on furlough from his day job, is trying to remain as productive as possible with his time off and is already looking ahead to taking on the big boys in Conference A for a shot at the new Junior top flight - including local rivals Arthurlie.
He said: “It’s going to be tough because we don’t have the finances to compete with the biggest clubs just yet.”
Anyone looking to apply for the development squad vacancy should email jamie.mckim@live.co.uk
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