Big Dunc has helped put Hornby on track
FRASER HORNBY is the bustling young Everton striker who has been hailed in some quarters as the new Duncan Ferguson.
And the latest in a long line of Scottish forwards at Goodison Park will certainly need Big Dunc’s battling qualities if he is to help the nation’s Under-21s shoot down England in tonight’s Toulon Tournament semi-final.
Hornby, 18, has been earning rave reviews since making his Toffees debut in a Europa League clash in Cyprus last season.
He has taken that form with him to France where he netted Scotland’s first goal of the youth tournament in a 1-1 draw with Togo before Scot Gemmill’s side eliminated hosts France and South Korea to set up a mouthwatering repeat of last year’s last-four clash with the Auld Enemy in Aubagne.
Only converted into a striker in the last year after originally playing as a central midfielder, Hornby revealed he has been taking advice from former Rangers, Dundee United and Scotland star Ferguson, now a respected coach at Everton.
‘Duncan is a fantastic person to learn off. I’ve had the pleasure of training with the first team quite a lot over the last few months and he’s been really good with me,’ said Hornby.
‘He understands I’m still learning the position. So I’m taking all of his advice on board and hopefully it’ll make me a better player.
‘I’ve got two sides to me. I’ve got a side to me off the pitch but, when I go on it, it’s all business for me. I like to put myself about in the right way.
‘But off the pitch, it’s important to have a balance of being calm before you cross that white line.
‘You sense Duncan’s iconic status at Everton every day. He’s a massive legend down there. Even when you travel to away games, all the fans want pictures with him. When new managers have gone, he’s still around the place. Whenever a new gaffer comes in they know how much of a character he is for the club. It’s good to have a familiar face around the first team.
‘Everton have a history of Scottish strikers with Duncan, Graeme Sharp and Andy Gray. And ultimately my aim is to be playing in Everton and Scotland’s first team. So to have these figures who have done that is something that I hope I can emulate.
‘The comparisons between myself and Duncan are nice. I can think of worse players to be compared to. If I can do what he did I’ll be happy. I’ve always been in contact with Duncan since I signed at Everton.
‘He knew I was in and around the Scottish youth teams, so he took me under his wing. He’s looked after me down there.
‘The best bit of advice he’s given me is to always be in the box. Pundits often say the best strikers are in the right place at the right time.
‘If you can get yourself into the best position all the time, you have a better chance of scoring goals.’
Hornby has formed an encouraging partnership with Scotland captain Oliver Burke and believes Gemmill’s side are good enough to win the prestigious tournament despite losing to England at the same stage last summer.
‘I don’t see why we can’t go on and win it now,’ he said. ‘There are four boys from Everton in the England squad, so it will be good to come up against them. They’re a good team.
‘It will be great to test ourselves against them, especially after their Under-20s won the World Cup last year. They have a few boys from that group over here, but we beat France in midweek, so why can’t we beat England?
‘It’s not very often you beat a team like France. It was the first time a Scottish youth team has done that, so it was an unbelievable achievement from the boys.
‘It just shows the character in the squad. We believe we can beat anyone on our day.
‘It’s great playing with Oli, given the things he’s been doing for the last few years. I can learn off him and he’s a great player to have on the pitch with us. At times, we really need him and he managed to put the ball in the net against France and South Korea.’
Hornby admitted he is enjoying his new role as a striker and the physical battle that goes with it.
‘It’s not every day I come up against boys who are bigger than me but that was the case against France,’ he said. ‘It was a good challenge for me. I’m going to have to learn with different situations and that was one of them.
‘I’m still adapting to the position, I’ve only been playing as a striker this season.
‘I’m really enjoying it and it’s where I see myself now for the rest of my career.
‘It was my Under-18s managers at Everton, Paul Tait and Kevin Sheedy, who initially made the decision. They both saw me play just off the striker and I scored four against Stoke City in a league game. That was one of my first games as a striker.
‘The week after that, I scored a hat-trick against Manchester City. Since that game, I haven’t played any other position. There was no looking back after that.
‘My ultimate goal is to play as many games in the Premier League as I can.’