Focus on youth never in doubt - Canning

Hamilton manager Martin Canning never feared that the club would abandon their youth set-up amid controversy over Lewis Ferguson’s transfer fee.

Canning has seen chairman Ronnie Macdonald watch countless boys’ games and travel all over Scotland to see the club’s youth players.

But Macdonald hinted hisclubmighthavetoquestion whether their youth investment was worth it if Monday’s tribunal over Ferguson’s move to Aberdeen went against them. In the end, Macdonald reaffirmed Hamilton’s commitment to a policy which has produced players such as James Mcarthur, James Mccarthy and Brian Easton, while calling for transparency over the confidential Scottish Professional Football League process.

Canning said: “I wouldn’t think that (abandoning youth policy) would happen. Ronnie goes to every under-11s game, 12s game, 14s, 15s, 17s, 19s, he goes to them all. He is at reserve games home and away.

“He is passionate about youth development, about getting kids into the team and helping kids to have successful careers.

“He has a very good relationship with all the boys that have moved on, the Jameses and big Easty, and he looks after these boys and takes pride in seeing what they have done.

“So I wouldn’t think this would have any impact on his commitment to youth development, but I can understand what he’s saying in terms of it being more transparent in how these figures are arrived at for people who are investing money into youth development.”

Neither club were able to say what the fee was for the 18-year-old’s move but reports say the initial payment will be between £200,000 and £250,000.

But the award will not affect Canning’s plans to add more players to his squad before the transfer window shuts.

“Not at all,” he said. “I have not been involved in that process at all. We have been working away all summer and nothing has changed for us.”