Alan Hutton inspired Josh’s move

KILMARNOCK right-back Josh Webb is following in the footsteps of Scotland star Alan Hutton.

The youngster shared a dressing-room at Aston Villa with the former Rangers and Tottenham man when the manager at the time, Paul Lambert, forced him to train with the youth team in an attempt to get the £40,000-a-week full-back off the wage bill.

Hutton was loaned out to Notts Forest, Real Mallorca, Derby County and Bolton in between stints with the kids but Webb never forgot the way he refused to buckle.

Webb had his heart broken by Villa – the club he’d signed for at the age of 10 – when they freed him at the end of last season but, inspired by Hutton, he’s determined to prove them wrong.

“I looked up to him massively,” he said. “There was one season where he was in our changing room with us, then he was back as one of the best players at Villa the next year.

“He has played in the Scottish Premiership as well so he is someone that you speak to and look up to.

“Alan was picked for Scotland while he was left out at Villa but, of course, it wasn’t that he wasn’t a good player, it was just to do with the circumstances around the club.

“He is definitely still one of the best right-backs in Scotland. He was very good about his situation, talking about all the stuff he had to overcome and what he was doing at that moment in time.

“But he thought about us as well – he kept telling us to keep doing our best and it will work itself out.”

Webb has endured a sticky start to life in Scotland, with Killie failing to qualify from their Betfred Cup group and speculation surrounding the future of manager Lee Clark, who brought him and 10 other youngsters up from England this summer.

“It was never going to be easy but we’re determined to turn things around and make it better,” said Webb.

“To get the chance to play every week is the reason I’ve come here.

“I’ve moved away from my family and friends and everything to come and play football so that is what I am here to do.”