Hamilton Accies' UEFA Youth League 'achievement' hailed by academy chief

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Hamilton Accies academy chief George Cairns says the club facing FK Molde in the UEFA Youth League is a massive achievement.And Cairns says the fact they’ve qualified for the prestigious competition twice in five years proves the academy’s ‘conveyor belt’ of talent is continuing.Accies’ under-19s are in Norway this morning to face their opponents in the domestic champions path first round first leg, with the return leg at New Douglas Park on October 23.The winners of the tie are due to play either holders AZ Alkmaar of the Netherlands or Klaipeda from Lithuania in the second round in November.Cairns said: “It’s a huge achievement.

We’re the champions of Scotland, people will know the budget we have, so to be that successful and to achieve it twice in five years is probably more successful.“Our budgets are nowhere near Celtic, Rangers, Hearts or even Aberdeen, at a push, so it’s a fantastic achievement for the club and it’s great.“I hope the lads keep us in the tie.

Molde will be older, we are young, so if we keep ourselves in the tie and give ourselves a chance back home, then it keeps us going.”Four of the players who helped Hamilton win the Club Academy Scotland elite Under-18 League have moved on to bigger clubs with Ryan One and Cormac Daly moving to Sheffield United and Nottingham Forest, respectively, while Gabe Forsyth and Josh McDonald joined Championship sides Norwich City and Leeds United.Cairns said: “Obviously four of that squad have moved on to other things, two to the Championship and two to the Premier League in England, so all good things are happening.“It would be great if the kids were still here and playing for us, but they’ve moved on to bigger and better things.“It gives other kids a chance to go and