New contenders Want for nothing at lenient Accies
SHAUN WANT knows he is fortunate to be at a club that allows young players to make mistakes.
The Hamilton defender found himself at the wrong end of a tabloid newspaper report last month when pictures emerged of him inhaling ‘hippy crack’ from a balloon during lockdown.
Just as high-profile English Premier League players like Jack Grealish and Raheem Sterling have been condemned for their recreational use of nitrous oxide, Want’s laughing gas indiscretion was met with a stern response from his employers.
Publicly, they vowed to stand by the 23-year-old and he remains grateful but not exactly surprised by their understanding.
The centre-back knows it will soon be time to repay manager Brian Rice where it matters and he is steeling himself for a daunting first assignment of the new season — a trip to face the champions at Celtic Park on the opening day.
If selected, Want may be asked to set an example for his teenage colleague Jamie Hamilton, another who has benefited in a different way from manager Rice’s kindly management.
Accies’ model is based on accelerating the development of young players and 18-year-old Hamilton made 14 appearances last term. Three red cards — one of which was later overturned — exposed his unpreparedness, but Rice has resolved to stick by a player he believes could go all the way.
‘Everybody at Hamilton knows that if you are good enough they will throw you in,’ said Want (right).
‘Likewise, if things don’t go well then they won’t just turn their back on you and throw you away. They will always give you another chance.
‘That is what happened with Jamie, they didn’t just throw him out after he had a few red cards. He kept working hard and it worked out for him, so that is credit to the gaffer and it is credit to George Cairns (head of youth) and everyone else at the club.
‘Jamie is a brilliant football player with a great attitude. Obviously you get ups and downs and I have had a lot in my career, too.
‘I’ve been here since I was 10 and every time you step on that pitch you know you have something to prove to yourself and to the manager.
‘No matter the circumstances, you want to pay back the gaffer for giving you an opportunity.’
On the issue of his own aberration, Want was reluctant to dig too deep, adding simply: ‘The manager and the club have been completely fine with me.’
The Celtic match may offer a chance of redemption, specifically as Want seeks to nail down a regular starting spot.
Hamilton will again be among the favourites for relegation when the new Premiership campaign kicks off but that is neither a burden nor anything new to the players.
‘Last season, we showed we can compete with the big teams,’ added Want.
‘We had a good result at Ibrox. We were good at Celtic Park too, where they scored in the last minute.
‘It will be strange going to Celtic Park with no fans there. It is their flag day so they would have sold out and I would probably have preferred the full stadium.’