McCarthy: Important to Keep Eye on Non-League Talent
Tuesday, 5th Jan 2016 06:00

Town boss Mick McCarthy believes it’s important to keep a watching brief on non-league football to stand a chance of discovering the next Tyrone Mings or Jamie Vardy. The Blues have invited Barwell youngster Brady Hickey to train with them for a second time, the 19-year-old midfielder having impressed in a previous spell towards the end of December.

Town signed Mings from Chippenham Town in December 2012 for £10,000 and a reserves friendly and sold him for £8 million to Premier League Bournemouth last summer.

Leicester signed Vardy from then-Conference champions Fleetwood in 2012 for £1 million and the former Stocksbridge Park Steels striker has gone on to represent England and is currently the Premier League joint-top scorer.

Burnley frontman Andre Gray, the Championship's top scorer on 15 goals, also had a spell in non-league before breaking back into the Football League, initially with Luton.

In addition to Hickey, the Blues have had a number of other non-league players join in training at Playford Road this season, including Grays Athletic striker Dumebi Dumaka but the Town boss opted not to take his interest any further.

Ebbsfleet youngster Shilow Tracey, 17, who has more recently spent time with Tottenham and is expected to join the Premier League club, played for U21s against Brentford in November.

“It’s not always me going out and watching them, I don’t have that time,” McCarthy said.

“We have scouts watching them and if it becomes apparent that they’ve got a chance, then we’ll go and watch them, me and TC, or we’ll get them in here.

“We invite them in and we’re doing that constantly. That’s important, of course. It’s always important.

“My job is about winning games and being at the right end of the league but for next year and the year after and the year after, for the continuous development of the club we’ve got to keep bringing players in.”

Hickey, a former England schoolboy international, joined Evo-Stik League Northern Premier Division Barwell in the summer having previously been with another Midlands non-league side, St Andrew’s.

A student at Loughborough University, Hickey has scored 10 goals and claimed six assists in 35 appearances this season and has been described as a "non-league version of Frank Lampard” by his current manager Jimmy Ginnelly.

Hickey’s performances this season have attracted the interest of a host of clubs in addition to the Blues, including Middlesbrough, Leeds, Barnsley, Sheffield Wednesday, Wolves, Burnley, Mansfield and Oxford, and he has also spent time on trial with Leicester City.

Photo: Action Images

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BrettenhamBlue added 07:30 - Jan 5

Good that Hickey is back. Could prove a good addition to the squad and I hope that we sign him. As others have already said on this forum, I'd like us to take a look at Ross Allen too. The guy has a sensational scoring record and should be playing at a much higher level. For a midfield/striker he is phenomenal.

The 2 guys being pursued by Rangers would also be worth looking at.

blueherts added 08:41 - Jan 5 Good to hear - rather a hungry lad busting a gut to realise his dream than some of the kids who have it all at prem clubs at a young age and then drift away ! - we have already seen too many of those
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muccletonjoe added 10:05 - Jan 5 Said last time he was here that I had heard people who have seen him, talk very highly of him. Obviously mm has seen something to have him back in
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benno1uk added 10:53 - Jan 5 When I read things like this it makes me appreciate how lucky we are to have manager like MM. Do all other managers show such dedication and attention to detail as this? I doubt it.
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