Pars back stopper`s potential

Eighteen year old Cammy Gill earns a well deserved two year contract

Young goalkeeper Cammy Gill has achieved his ambition of earning a two year contract and that has come six months ahead of when he had anticipated it. A delighted 18 year old told this website:-

"To do it this early I am over the moon. The 20s have been playing well and we have more league points in January than what we finished with last season. We have kept a lot of clean sheets as well which for myself and the whole team is really good."

The last Development League match played was a very creditable 3-0 win over Celtic at Lennoxtown. Cammy was pleased to recall that cold December night under the lights at the Celtic Training ground:-

"It was probably the best that I have played this season. You are up for every game but against Celtic you go into it thinking that you are going to be very busy. I am just glad the team got the win in the end, it is the first time I have ever beaten Celtic and I have been here since the under tens."

The three goals clearly made the difference but the win would not have been possible had Cammy not been on his game that night since his opponents had plenty of shots on target to have turned the result around.

"I was buzzing. All we can do at the back is to keep a clean sheet. It was such a strong team that we were playing against, you felt that they would inevitably score but we managed to keep them out."

Cammy has definitely demonstrated great talent while at Dunfermline for ten seasons, he claimed that he has never ever felt any urge to leave and dismissed newspaper stories to the contrary as all rumour. He has seen several coaches throughout his decade at the Pars and named goalie coach Dave Westwood as his greatest influencer.

"Right the way through the youth academy and even now when I am in full time. Westie was my coach from under ten to under sixteen then Brian Potter, a good few others and now Westie again."

Other coaches included Andy Goram, Paul Mathers, Craig Hinchcliffe and the proliferation of different styles has given Cammy a unique experience that has helped the youngsters development.

"Everyone gets you to adapt your game to yourself. You have to compete with guys who are six foot five or six. Some of us aren`t that lucky so you have to look at different ways of getting round that."

Having recently secured contracts with Scott Lochhead and Conner Duthie, manager Allan Johnston feels that Cammy Gill is just one of a number of young players who are progressing well at Dunfermline. He described the keeper`s massive improvement from last season and hopes that he can keep that going:-

"He has huge potential. He is a natural shot stopper and I think working with Westie and the first team goalies will bring him along leaps and bounds.

"You can see that Cammy is getting confident, he has the stature and works really hard in the gym as well to try and improve. That is the kind of attitude that you are looking for.

"He was outstanding in the recent match against Celtic but he has been like that for the majority of games this season. He just needs to keep the consistency up, he still has bits that he has to improve on but he is one of those lads who knows that and works really hard. He always listens to what everybody is telling him and we are delighted to get him tied up on a longer term deal."

Cammy has his fingers crossed that within his two and a half year contract he can get some first team football:-

"I need to keep improving my game and two years seems a long time. I am 19 in April but I want to get as good as I can as soon as I can. You always want to do the best for yourself at this moment."

It sounds like Sean Murdoch and David Hutton should be looking behind their backs at Cammy`s progress but he says that he is learning massively from the two keepers currently ahead of him.

"They look at different things to the likes of Ryan Scully, Ryan Goodfellow and Paul Gallacher. Westie is only in Tuesdays and Thursdays so when he is not in Hutts and Murdo will take the sessions on a Monday or a Friday. That mixes up the drills we do."

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