ACCIES HOME IN ON WELSH WHIZ KID

May 18 2007 By Andy McGilvray

HAMILTON are in talks to sign young Swansea City striker Chris Jones on loan for next season.

The highly-rated 17-year-old Welsh hitman, who enjoyed first-team action last season with the League One club, is believed to be just one of several young stars recommended by Swans number two Graeme Jones, who was assistant to Accies boss Billy Reid last season.

The deal has not yet been finalised, but boss Reid is interested in looking at the talented young Swansea-born star.

He said: “There is talk of a young striker, Chris Jones, coming up on loan. We’ll decide on that in the next couple of days, but that might happen.

“He’s one of the younger lads who is on the fringes of the first team. He may benefit from coming to Accies and pushing for a squad place.”

With most of his squad tied up on long-term deals, Reid is scouring the transfer market and has already spoken to several targets.

But he warned striker David Winters that the clock is ticking on his one-year extension offer.

Reid said: “We’re in a position where we can go and sign players but they have to be right for us.

“We already have a decent standard of players here and more or less have everybody tied up that we want to, but we need to add a bit of experience in the right areas.

“They’ve got to be hungry enough, be able to play on our Fieldturf surface and it’s up to me to bring in the right professionals to help the young guys along.

“We’ve got another group of under-17s and under-19s coming in and I’m really excited about them.

“We’ve also got three or four younger guys who will come in and join the squad, and that’s what this club is all about, so that bodes well for the future.”

Reid added: “We’re looking to add more goals to the team, in terms of middle-to-front, and it’s important to do that, whether it means bringing in a striker or a couple of attacking midfielders.

“We’re looking at different avenues — we had somebody going to Slovakia on Tuesday for three days to take in five games over there and we’ve been looking at the Irish market as well.

“I’ve been speaking to players over the weekend but there’s been nothing set in stone yet.

“There’s a lot happening but there’s no point in going through it until we know who’s coming and who isn’t.”

Reid has been disappointed in a lack of response from 25-year-old Winters, but said the ball is still in the former Ross County striker’s court.

The gaffer said: “We’ve had no response from David. We offered him a contract at the end of the season, I thought he was going to sign it but he’s keeping his options open, which he’s entitled to do.

“The ball is in David Winters’s court and it’s up to him now.

“I’m not going to force the issue, but the clock is ticking because I’m looking for players and if we get somebody in the same position as Davie, then so be it.”

Reid will continue his search for a goalkeeper, as Dunfermline’s relegation from the SPL means it’s unlikely that Sean Murdoch will be able to continue his loan spell at New Douglas Park.

Reid said: “Dunfermline will be sorting out their personnel and I don’t know if it means having to cut some of their players or their wage bill.

“Maybe I’m speaking out of turn here but I think their goalkeeper Dorus de Vries will leave the club, which leaves them with Roddy McKenzie and Sean Murdoch for number one and number two, and that’s disappointing for us because the goalkeeping situation is something we have to address.”

With next season’s First Division settled — Dunfermline replaced promoted Gretna while Morton and Stirling Albion take the places of relegated Ross County and Airdrie United — Reid is relishing a tough contest.

He said: “It’s disappointing that Airdrie have dropped out, because we had derby games against them and it’s a good place to play your football, but Stirling are there on merit.

“It’s going to be a really difficult division but we know what to expect. We’ve had two seasons as a full-time club now, we’ve competed well in those two years and hope to improve next year.

“I think a lot depends on what we can bring in, if we’re going to challenge the bigger powers of Dunfermline and St Johnstone.”

Accies this week released youngsters Paul O’Donnell, David Murray, Gerry McLauchlan, Paul McLean and goalkeeper Michael White.

l The club’s first pre-season friendly this summer will take place against Edinburgh City at Meadowbank Stadium, Edinburgh, on Wednesday, July 11, at 7.30pm.