The push is on for Scott Cusick

“I felt that Dunfermline was a massive club and when the offer came in there was not really any doubt in my mind that I wanted to be here.

Seventeen year old Scott Cusick spoke exclusively to the website after the reserve match against Morton, the new signing from Celtic said:-

“I have signed a six month contract that will take me to the end of the season, then there will be a review to see where I`m at, see if I am ready to push myself to get into the first team. I still need a bit of extra time in the reserves.

“My preferred position is anywhere in the front four. If I was playing striker I would probably have someone upfront with me to link with.”

Left footed, Scott was born in Glasgow and grew up in Viewpark. He started playing when he was 5 years old at Airdrie Boys Club he was also locally at Calderbraes Boys Club before attracting the interest of both Celtic and Rangers in the Elite Centres. He signed for Celtic when he was 7 years old and spent the last 10 years there.

After being based at Barrowfield while in Celtic’s junior academy, he went on the programme at St Ninian`s High School in Kirkintilloch which involved school in the morning and Lennoxtown in the afternoon for training. The programme he followed was good for his development but Scott grew frustrated:-

“I just felt that I was at a standstill at Celtic. I came in here for a few days and was happy here. I was learning a lot from Shieldsie and getting involved in training with the first team. Playing reserve games I feel that I am learning a lot more here than I was at Celtic which is what I am after.

“At the stage that I am at just now, I feel I need to be playing against men to really see where I`m at and start pushing myself.

“Greg Shields is a good guy, I have learned a lot off him in training as well. I have really enjoyed it since I came in. I have been in a few games with the first team after training, I am enjoying that and the gaffer.

“At Celtic it was totally different, I enjoyed every minute of it for the last 10 years but I want to play football and at the age that I am at now, I feel that I have to push myself to try and get in the first team.”

The reserve match against Dundee United a fortnight ago was Scott’s first appearance in a Dunfermline strip but his first start was at Alloa in a bounce game.

“I scored in that, my trial game. They have looked at signing me since. I am just happy to get the contract done now.”

On Tuesday Scott was delighted to record the victory over a Morton team that only the seven weeks earlier had defeated Dunfermline 6-1.

“I felt at times that we could have kept the ball a bit more. They were a good team but I felt that we did enough in the end to get a win.

“Tom (Beadling) showed that little bit of extra quality in scoring the two goals. We had more experience in the team than we did against Dundee United and the experienced players l on Tuesday made a big difference to the result.

“I am happy to play alongside the first team players, they talk you through the game as well which is a lot better. You can learn so much more playing with experienced players and I enjoyed that factor of it.”

Scott’s best pals at Celtic, Dean Quinn and Chris McQueen have both moved on to Motherwell and St Johnstone respectively:-

“They were the same as me at a standstill in the 18s that happens quite a lot at Celtic. We needed to start pushing ourselves.

“At the end of the day Celtic are a massive massive club and it is obviously going to be hard to break into the first team given the amount of money invested in it.

“When they are after ten in a row it is going to be hard in the next two years. I felt that Dunfermline was a massive club and when the offer came in there was not really any doubt in my mind that I wanted to be here. I am just happy to have signed to be honest.”

Signed only days after Celtic reserve player Jonathan Afolabi arrived on loan, Scott added:-

“Jon was in the reserves at Celtic but the 18s train at Barrowfield and the reserves were at Lennoxtown. I spoke to him a few times when I was at Celtic he was a great guy and now I am car sharing with him as well. It is brilliant and a good laugh as well.”

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