Fergus Bell: Moving on up more important than cups to us – and coaches

Published on Saturday 5 December 2009 09:42

AS PART of Hibs' all-conquering Under-19 side Fergus Bell always knew he faced a tough season, well aware that anything other than again completing the League and Cup double could well be regarded by some as failure.

But today the 18-year-old insisted there was a far bigger prize on offer than mere silverware – the opportunity to follow the likes of David Wotherspoon and Kurtis Byrne into boss John Hughes' first team squad.

Only a few months ago Wotherspoon, pictured below, and Byrne were his team-mates as Hibs stormed to the SPL Under-19 title and lifted the SFA Youth Cup within the space of a few days thanks, on both occasions, to last-gasp goals from Irish kid Byrne.

It was a memorable season all round with the Easter Road kids remaining unbeaten on all fronts until late in the campaign, the celebrations which followed their successes at Fir Park and then Hampden heightened by the knowledge that seven of them had been awarded first team contracts.

This time round, as striker Bell admitted, it's been a different story and although silverware isn't beyond their grasp again, he insisted the goal remains the same, to impress Hughes and his assistant Brian Rice sufficiently and so win a shot at the big time.

The kids get the chance to do so tomorrow as they continue their defence of the Youth Cup against Falkirk, the side they beat at the semi-final stage last season, with a rare opportunity to play at Easter Road rather than the club's training centre.

Bell said: "I was lucky enough to play on the big pitch twice in my first year here, beating Hearts in the East of Scotland Shield and then Queen of the South in the Cup.

"But for a lot of the boys it will be their first time. We all go along on a Saturday to watch the first team feeling we can't wait until we get the chance to play out there. There will be a lot more people coming along so we are all desperate to show what we can do in front of a big crowd.

"Obviously there's a wee link between the clubs with the manager and Brian Rice having been in charge at Falkirk while we beat them 3-0 through there last season in the semi-final.

"We were fortunate to beat them 3-2 again earlier this season. We played pretty well that day and with home advantage and the support of a larger than usual crowd hopefully we can do so again although we know Falkirk will be strong and well-organised as always."

Having beaten Inverness Clachnacuddin 8-0 in the previous round, Bell is determined to progress beyond tomorrow's fourth round tie, holding out the hope that Hibs can go all the way once again.

But he accepts, as youth coaches Alistair Stevenson and James McDonaugh warned their charges, comparisons between last season and this shouldn't be made.

He said: "From day one they've been telling us not to judge ourselves against those achievements. What we did last year was exceptional and it doesn't happen very often twice in succession at our level.

"This season isn't so much about rebuilding as individual progression and the performances we put in as a team. It's been more of a regular season if that's how you'd describe it.

"Every team is capable of beating each other, it's who has a good game on the day. We don't feel any pressure, although that's not to say we wouldn't like to win something again.

"However, Alistair and James have also told us that the biggest pleasure they've had from last season's team was watching David and Kurtis make first team debuts.

"There's others from that team such as Lee Currie and Sean Welsh who are close behind and, while it's nice to win things, the greatest pride for our coaches is seeing their players in the SPL.

"I played with David and Kurtis last season and it gives you massive hope when you see what they have done. David in particular couldn't be happier. It's not as if the team has been doing poorly and the manager has been forced to cast around trying to find players who can change things.

"David has gone into a team that's up the top end of the SPL table, going well and he hasn't looked out of place at all. He's only missed one game all season. We've all looked at that and realised it's all about how you take your chance when it comes along and he's certainly done that."

If most Hibs fans only catch the odd glimpse of the club's up-and-coming youngsters, Bell knows that each and everyone of them are under the closest of scrutiny every day in training – and not just by Stevenson and McDonaugh.

He said: "The manager is always getting young players involved in the first team training, he wants to see how you cope working with them. It's been like that ever since he arrived and knew each of us by name on his first day which gave everyone of us a massive boost that he was taking such an interest."

&#149 TOMORROW'S match kicks off at 1pm and admission is free.