Kid Smith’s plan is to put a shock in it once more
Lewis Smith was in the crowd as a Hamilton Accies fan the last time they beat Celtic at Parkhead.
The talented kid now wants to do it as a player.
The Scotland Under-21 midfielder is an Accies diehard like his family.
He said: “Supporting the Old Firm was never on the agenda for me growing up.
“My grandad didn’t quite force us to go to Accies but there was no chance of us going to any other games.
“There’s a photo of me aged six when I was mascot here, even before I joined here as a player at 10.
“I have a memory, I think I was four, of a game with Forfar when we got promoted and we all ran on to the pitch. My mum was raging and my dad got into bother for that!
“I was at Celtic Park for the 1- 0 game in 2014, that’s one of my favourite memories.
“Hopefully we can do that again this time. ”
Smith has been given the No.11 shirt by boss Brian Rice this season, a reward for his impressive debut campaign last term.
He grew up watching the likes of James McCarthy and James McArthur and wants to establish himself in the first team as they did.
He said: “I grew up idolising guys like McCarthy and McArthur.
“They showed that if you worked hard enough, you could get a chance.
“It was cool to see them play here at such a young age and that motivated me to be like them and become a Hamilton player.
“Last season I did well but this year I want to add more goals and assists because I didn’t get as many as I should have.
“I’ve got the No.11 now. It’s a big step up from 28, it’s nice to know they have that faith in me. Hopefully I can repay them on the pitch.”
Accies gaffer Rice is convinced that Smith will one day make the club a huge profit like McCarthy and McArthur did.
He said: “I made a big mistake with Lewis lalast year. I should have started hhim in the ffirst game of the ssea son at RRoss County wwhen we lost 33- 0. On the way ddown in the bus I said to myself: ‘ ThThat kid has to pplay’. He came in aafter that and ddid fantastic.
“He’s got to kkeep improving now,n kicking on. Lewis can be anything he wants to be.
“We will give him a pathway and a chance. He’s got to grasp it.
“He’s a fantastic kid. He’s a bit too quiet, he needs to believe in himself a wee bit more, but when he goes on the pitch he comes out of his shell.
“I’d like to think he’d make this club a lot of money, that’s what the club is there for, to get these kids through . He’s a Hamilton supporter and the club means a lot to him.
“I’d love to see him go on and further his career, to see how far he can go.”
My grandad didn’t force us to Accies games but supporting Old Firm wasn’t on agenda for me as I was growing up