ROLL THE DYCE FOR A JACKPOT
Stu’s first boys club lands £120k bonus from his Southampton move
We are in a state of shock ... although I’ve seen the bank statement it is hard to believe LEN NICOL
STUART ARMSTRONG’S first boys club has landed an incredible six-figure slice of his £7million move from Celtic to Southampton.
Aberdeen side Dyce Boys Club were due the massive £120,000-plus windfall thanks to UEFA regulations that rewards clubs who have had a part in a player’s development.
Last week Armstrong met with the club’s officials while he was in Edinburgh on international duty with the Scotland squad.
As they celebrated the whopping payday which bosses believe will transform the club’s future, Armstrong revealed his hopes that his big-money move could now help another kid like him follow his footsteps to the top.
Armstrong, 26, said: “I owe a lot to the coaches and volunteers at Dyce Boys Club. I joined the club when I was 13 and spent five happy years there.
“It was great to meet up with the club committee last week in Edinburgh. They brought some old photographs with them and we reminisced about my time at the club.
“I’m really proud the move to Southampton has triggered a payment to the club as it was a great place to learn and enjoy my football while I was growing up. “They will put the money to good use to help ensure that more and more young players in the area can enjoy their football.” Under FIFA regulations, player transfers can generate solidarity payments to the clubs who trained the player in their formative years and Dyce Boys Club were the beneficiaries following his switch to St Mary’s. Dyce officials had been keeping close tabs on the midfielder ever since he progressed to the professional game, first at Dundee United and then to Celtic. But they were caught by surprise by the six-figure payment generated by his big move to the English Premier League.
Club treasurer Len Nicol said: “We are in a state of shock. We never dreamed how much it would be.
“We heard news of the transfer just before it was announced and we knew there would be a payment. But I nearly dropped the phone when I heard how much it was.
“Although I’ve seen the bank statement it really is hard to believe.
“This money will help sustain the club for years and we will be able to invest it back into the local community.
“It is just wonderful that money can flow through to the grassroots to help us produce the next Stuart Armstrong and help ensure lots of kids in the areas can enjoy their football.”
Armstrong’s former coach Ronnie Cromar said: “Stuart’s path to the top is an amazing story. We are all so proud of what he has achieved and we often talk about him as an example to the young players currently at the club.
“Through the years, we have had the pleasure to coach other internationalists such as Graeme Shinnie and Scott Booth while Bruce Anderson has recently broken through into professional football [at Aberdeen].
“We want to improve them as footballers but we also want to help shape them into becoming good people. Stuart is a brilliant role model. Not only is he a great player but he is also an intelligent young man.
“When he played for us, Stuart often played out on the wing but as he grew older he became more of a playmaker. His progress was like a rocket after he moved to Dundee United though.
“His development isn’t finished – he will progress even further – and we look forward to seeing him back at the club next time he is home.”