Liam McCarron’s introduction to the Premier League on Saturday night produced a special moment for the Castletown Junior Football Club in Penrith.
Now 20 years of age, and brought on for his League debut for Leeds at home to Arsenal, Liam had learnt the basics of the game at Castletown.
His first coach there was Irwin Wallace, who has run the celebrated Nappy Squad for over 30 years, where kids are introduced to the game at four or five years of age.
Irwin recalls Liam being a member of the squad – and as a six-year-old in the 20087/8 season was starting to show his potential.
He says: “To be honest I remember him as a left footer, a good left footer and a left footer with bags of energy to burn – and they are scarcer than hen’s teeth.
“Playing in an away game as an Under 7 or 8 I brought him off, sat him on the touchline and tried to explain football is a team game. He was everywhere – taking bye kicks, corners, throw-ins – you name it – and he eve n wanted to be on the end of his own kicks.
“Then as an Under-9, playing under 10s in the Penrith League his coach was Dr Ian Marshall. I saw him in a training session as I was coming away from an indoor Nappy Squad session.
“By now Dr Ian had him playing as a team member – control, pass, move with the basics done exceptionally well.
“Get the basics correct and you can play football anywhere, that’s what our current Nappy Squad are told.
“Dr Marshall has had a big influence on his development, Castletown JFC and myself a small input, but really he has done all this through his own effort and in the end it’s been all down to Liam himself.
“He is a fantastic role model for all the young footballers at our club. As well as now being a Premiership player, he’s also a very nice young lad.”
McCarron came on at Elland Road after 81 minutes, replacing another sub Crysencio Summerville, to make his first team debut two and a half years after leaving Carlisle United.
A former pupil of Appleby Grammar School McCarron has represented Scotland Under-21s and after being brought through Carlisle United’s Academy system went on to play 20 senior games for the Blues before being sold to Leeds United.
When he was first given a professional contract by Carlisle United he went back to Castletown to present Irwin Wallace with a packet of biscuits.
“It became a tradition that whenever one of our former players signed a pro contract they would come back with the biscuits for me. None of them have forgotten,” said Irwin.
