Ireland also admitted his delight at seeing so many of his under-21 players integrated with the first team, and feels they have done well in front of new manager Sami Hyypia.
“It is fantastic. It is great, because when you are trying to attract a player to the club or dealing with your own players and you can say to them ‘if you are good enough, you’ll be in and around the first team’.
“Within two hours of landing Brad Barry had been moved up with the first-team, and then two others Jimmy Muitt and Jesse Starkey get called up, after playing 90 minutes for us, they play 30 minutes for the first-team.
“You want to be able to say to them, if you work hard you will get an opportunity. All the boys who are with the first-team for their training camp have had that opportunity to impress the new manager.
“He [Hyypia] is very open. He has a great interest in the youth programme and has been at our two games here. He spent time with me after both games, giving me things that the team need to work on – which gives us a better understanding of their system of play and adds even more to the experience for the boys. *
“I think they didn’t do themselves any harm in terms of the performances. That next step is a big one. Playing in front of a few hundred against Partick Thistle is different to playing at the Amex in front of 28,000.
“There will have been things in the week they will have been tested on, as well as the game: how they are in the group, how they interact with the senior players, how they are as people, the psychological aspect, physical aspects. We know they are decent players technically and tactically, but to make that jump you have to have the whole package.”
Original article
“It is fantastic. It is great, because when you are trying to attract a player to the club or dealing with your own players and you can say to them ‘if you are good enough, you’ll be in and around the first team’.
“Within two hours of landing Brad Barry had been moved up with the first-team, and then two others Jimmy Muitt and Jesse Starkey get called up, after playing 90 minutes for us, they play 30 minutes for the first-team.
“You want to be able to say to them, if you work hard you will get an opportunity. All the boys who are with the first-team for their training camp have had that opportunity to impress the new manager.
“He [Hyypia] is very open. He has a great interest in the youth programme and has been at our two games here. He spent time with me after both games, giving me things that the team need to work on – which gives us a better understanding of their system of play and adds even more to the experience for the boys. *
“I think they didn’t do themselves any harm in terms of the performances. That next step is a big one. Playing in front of a few hundred against Partick Thistle is different to playing at the Amex in front of 28,000.
“There will have been things in the week they will have been tested on, as well as the game: how they are in the group, how they interact with the senior players, how they are as people, the psychological aspect, physical aspects. We know they are decent players technically and tactically, but to make that jump you have to have the whole package.”
Original article