Reading Bid On McCarthy

Reading are among three clubs who have put a bid down on Hamilton Acadmical prospect, James McCarthy.

Liverpool, Celtic and Reading are just a few of the teams interested in the well publicised youngster; but while other like Chelsea, Blackburn, Spurs, Man Utd and Bolton have been linked with the player; the first three have made official bids according to Sky Sports.

McCarthy has been playing professionally for the Scottish first division outfit since he was fifteen, still only the tender age of sixteen, the teenager scored his first goal for the club this year.

‘We’ve had three or four bids for him, but we’re not in any rush for James to leave the club,’ the Accies boss, Billy Reid, told Sky Sports exclusively.

‘But if James says that he wants to leave and it’s the right deal for him and us we are not going to stand in his way.’

‘His attitude is great, he’s not fazed by it at all; he’s not in a hurry. He enjoys himself at Hamilton Accies and I can honestly say that he’s not starstruck.’

Meanwhile chief Chelsea scout, Frank Arnesen is on his way up to New Douglas Park to view they player in Academicals game against Patrick Thistle on Saturday.

Now we play the waiting game and see what happens next, McCarthy spent a period of time with Reading over the past fortnight to see how the club works, hopefully he will like what he saw at the Madejski Stadium and decide to move here.

From McCarthy`s point of view, he may choose Reading as we are the smallest of all these teams and he may feel he is more likely to get a chance at first team football here rather then competing with Steven Gerrard`s or Michael Ballack`s for a spot.

But in terms of growth, you would think the bigger teams such as Liverpool and Chelsea will have the best structures in place for youth development, he may decide that it is with a big team he will flourish.

Another key factor in his decision-making may be geography, at 16; McCarthy is just a nipper even if he is a talented one!

With a huge span of career ahead of him, he may decide that he wants to stay as close to home as possible for now, after all if he is as great as the media hype make him out to be, there will be plenty of time for moving clubs later in his career.

If he does decide to join the English league, one of the more northern clubs may stand a better chance then Reading.