On-loan Hammill puts Anfield dreams on hold for Fifers
ALAN PATTULLO
WHEN Adam Hammill returns to Liverpool in the summer he will be able to display an unusually impressive knowledge of Dunfermline Athletic FC compared to the average Scouse teenager. Reminded at every opportunity of the East End Park club's heritage by director of football Jim Leishman, Hammill can explain to his family that Dunfermline were creating waves on the European scene in tandem with their beloved Liverpool in the Sixties.
That said, on Thursday afternoon Hammill is still buzzing with the memory of Liverpool's titanic victory the previous evening in the Nou Camp against Barcelona, a win crafted by Craig Bellamy, the player he hopes to emulate in everything but attitude. Their paths have already crossed at training, and last summer, when Hammill made his top-team debut as a substitute during a friendly match at Wrexham, Bellamy was the player who made way. More significant was the identity of the player he joined up front - Robbie Fowler.
"I'd watched him all my life, and had seen him score so many goals from the Kop," gushed Hammill. "And here I was creating opportunities for him. It didn't really sink in until after the match and when my brothers were saying; 'you've played with God!'"
Although contracted for a further two years to Liverpool, Hammill is currently being enjoyed by fans of Dunfermline, and has lit up the tail-end of a difficult season. Having twice appeared in friendlies for the Liverpool first-team, Hammill has yet to feature in a competitive first-team game.
At just 19 years old, this will come, particularly in view of an attitude which is a credit to both his parents and Liverpool. Despite being labelled one of the Anfield club's brightest home-grown prospects, Hammill's nimble feet are firmly on the ground. He has even heeded an appeal from one of his brothers to roll down his socks, Hammill having temporarily adopted the in-vogue footballer's fashion statement of pulling them up above his knee.
"I try not to think about what they are saying about me down there," he said of the reputation he has established for himself at Anfield. "If you have a big-headed attitude then you are likely to fail. Liverpool are a massive club. You have to respect that on and off the pitch, 24-7. You are always in the limelight, whether that means behaving when you go out at night or eating the right things. They want you to be the best you can be, physically and mentally. You have to be top-notch to play for Liverpool."
These words take on extra significance in the aftermath of the disciplinary problems which occurred on Liverpool's recent bonding exercise in the Algarve, and if Bellamy was conscious of the challenge to his place from Hammill before he might be advised to be very afraid now.
Chief among Hammill's present priorities are helping Dunfermline avoid relegation from the SPL and sustaining an exceptional Tennent's Scottish Cup run - and perhaps even emulating Bellamy who won the famous old trophy while on loan at Celtic in 2005. This afternoon Hammill brings his wing wizardry to bear against Partick Thistle in the quarter-final, and hopes to crown his recent good run of form with a first-ever senior goal.
"I have a good feeling," he grinned. He has already made his mark in terms of a contribution to Dunfermline's increasingly desperate fight to avoid demotion to the First Division. He earned a penalty which secured a point against Kilmarnock last weekend while, in the Scottish Cup, he flung in the late cross which saw Scott Wilson knock Hearts out of the competition. It is fair to say he is relishing the opportunity to play in front of big crowds, while also reaping the benefits of being part of a united struggle.
"At Liverpool I was seen as a maverick player," he explained. "I would do something good, then something bad. But since coming up here I have worked on my effort for the team, rather than just myself. I have become a team player. I am not surprised, because I knew I had that in me. But at Liverpool you were perhaps aware of having to do that bit extra just to get noticed."
Falling prey to this desire to try something special when surrounded by world-class colleagues is understandable. Also easy to imagine is the likelihood of landing flat on your face. But Hammill has passed with flying colours these tests of nerve on those occasions he has been asked to train with the first-team. "I thought I gave a good account of myself," he said. "It's obviously great playing with the greatest players in the world, which a few of them are."
Hammill could have asked for no better up-bringing as a footballer, though some might find the age at which he was spotted by Liverpool remarkable. He started training with the Anfield club aged just seven, and points out he is due a testimonial by now. All major clubs are paranoid about missing out on talent, and on Merseyside, where the competition is fierce, the scouts of Liverpool and Everton must be particularly proactive. But like Wayne Rooney, there was only one club for Hammill.
"I grew up on Liverpool," he said. "It was installed in me from watching endless tapes of past matches. My dad would say, watch this, he was a great player. John Barnes was a first hero. But there's also been Steve McManaman, Michael Owen, Fowler and now Steven Gerrard.
"It was strange walking out for my first training session with the first-team, and seeing Gerrard and Jamie Carragher there. But I just had to get on with it. They are colleagues now, and they help you out. They have grown up in the Academy too, and it's nice to know they are looking out for you."
But Dunfermline, too, has been an education, and not just because he has heard time and time again about the winning goal Leishman once claimed at Ibrox. "I knew since the start of the season that Dunfermline were interested," he said. "I was playing well for the reserves at Liverpool but needed to go somewhere to get first-team experience. The coaches at Liverpool agreed on Dunfermline being the best option . The situation's not great regarding the league, but with a bit of luck...
"I didn't expect to enjoy it this much," he continued. "I have never really played in front of a lot of fans, so that has been special. The manager [Stephen Kenny] has been great, too. I am looking forward to playing my football here for the rest of the season."
What happens then he can't say, but perhaps the most effective way of catching the eye of Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is by playing a starring role at Hampden Park in May.
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