Inspirational Imrie can help Accies kids bloom

ALANDSCAPE gardener long before he forged a career in football, Dougie Imrie may be the perfect choice to lay a pathway towards the Hamilton Academical first team. constant presence as Accies pulled off five straight daring feats of escapology, Imrie hung up his boots at the end of last season and will now concentrate on coaching the club’s Under-18 team.

Aided by fellow Accies veteran Darian MacKinnon, Imrie helped coach Hamilton’s Under-17 side to the title in 2018 but Project Brave regulations meant he was forced to step away as the team embarked on a European run last season.

Now free to coach at any level his club chooses, Imrie is looking forward to dispensing advice to a generation of players who perhaps don’t realise how lucky they are.

‘Things have changed a lot from when I was their age,’ says the 35-year-old. ‘I didn’t get the same opportunity, I didn’t get into an

academy, didn’t get into

full-time football until I was 23, so I had to do it the hard way.

‘I played Juniors with Lanark United before I got the chance to play with Clyde. It wasn’t laid on a plate for me, I had to work hard, I got knockback after knockback and I was working as a landscape gardener from seven in the morning until seven at night.

‘Twelve-hour shifts, then trying to rush to training, trying to rush to games because we worked Saturday mornings as well.

‘The company I worked for were great with me but the rest of the lads gave me dog’s abuse because they thought I was the favourite, ducking out sharp for my football while they knocked their pans in!’

Ever combative and occasionally over-committed, Imrie’s on-field persona was shaped by just how hard he had to fight for his livelihood in the first place.

‘I’ve got that message to put across to the kids,’ he explains. ‘I try to make them understand all those barriers are not in their way but the hard work still has to come. Because if you let it slip, you can never get it back.

‘Brian Rice is all about giving youth a chance. We have a great academy and he’s already taken five from the youth squad into his dressing room full-time this season.

‘Previously we had Greg Docherty who worked his socks off to get to Rangers, then Lewis Ferguson came in, played a dozen or so games and now look at him — played in Europe, new contract with Aberdeen, cup finals, nominated for the Young Player of the Year in Scotland.

‘The pathway is there and our youngsters need to aspire to that.’

Imrie may have been a late starter but he still managed over 500 senior appearances. The reality of his new retired status has yet to sink in.

‘I don’t think that will happen until the season starts,’ he admits. ‘Right now it doesn’t feel any different because we’re all off. When the boys run out against Queen’s Park in the Betfred Cup in four weeks’ time, then I think it’ll hit me that I’m not with them.

‘I’ve had a great career, I’ve enjoyed every minute of playing and now there’s this new chapter to live in coaching.’

Imrie spent part of the summer working towards his ‘A’ Licence qualification with the Scottish FA and is looking forward to applying his knowledge at a club that has changed the menu over the past few months.

The mid-season appointment of Rice (right) in place of Martin Canning was a bold move that surprised many, not least as it saw a departure from the formula that had kept the club in the top flight since promotion in 2014. Imrie was signed by Alex Neil that summer then served as one of Canning’s key lieutenants as Accies perfected the art of survival. However, he enjoyed the change of emphasis under Rice. ‘He’s not going to play survival football,’ says Imrie. ‘He’s changed formations but the message every time he does is he wants to attack, get at teams. ‘We pulled out some big performances when we needed them at the end of the season, winning 2-0 up at Aberdeen, then beating Hearts at our place — that’s six points people did not expect us to get. ‘He gave us the platform to go and win these games, though, especially up at Aberdeen when big George Oakley scored his Van Basten! ‘That instils a belief in the players — it’s kind of going back to the way we played under Alex Neil, actually. ‘It will be good to watch. This is also his first chance to bring in his own players in a window as well, so we’ll see over pre-season exactly what he wants to do and how he’ll go for it.’ If the sometimes waspish onfield contribution of Imrie will be missed, Rice’s recruitment this summer has proved encouraging to Accies fans. Notably, he has picked up a couple of free agents from St Johnstone, with wing-back Brian Easton returning to Lanarkshire along with midfielder Blair Alston ‘Blair’s a really good player,’ says Imrie. ‘I’ve played against him a lot and he’s good on the ball, box-to-box and pops up with goals. He’s just the type the gaffer is looking for. ‘And Brian coming back is great as well — he knows the club inside out and will be great for the young guys. We’ve got players fighting for places, which can only be good. ‘Brian believes in youth and he’s already given some a chance. He’s always in about them, which is great for them to see from a first-team manager, full of encouragement. He takes them in and around the first team, then knocks them back out to give them an idea of the standard they need to be at.’

I get the message across that, if you let it slip, you won’t ever get it back

Brian Rice is all about giving youth a chance. We’ve a great academy