Coleraine's latest teenage starlet does not have to look too far for inspiration.
Fifteen-year-old Alfie Gaston came off the bench to make his debut for his hometown club in Saturday's 3-0 win over champions Larne.
Watching on from the stands where his proud family including his uncle, Rory Hamill.
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The former Northern Ireland international had a very successful Irish League career spanning 15 years, winning one league title and three Irish Cups along the way.
One of those cup wins came with the Bannsiders in 2003, and Hamill along with the rest of the squad were guests of honour at The Showgrounds on Saturday to mark the 20th anniversary.
Coleraine boss Oran Kearney was delighted to be able to hand Gaston a league debut for the club and is hoping those genes stand him in good stead.
“He definitely has a bright future,” Kearney said.
“Alfie is one I’ve known about for a long time since he’s been at the club.
“He’s got good genes, he’s a nephew of Rory Hamill and if he turns out anywhere near as good as what Rory was, he’ll not be a bad player.
“It’s one of those scenarios where I think in his brain he’s more than able and he showed that in his 20 minute cameo that he’s ahead of the game.
“He showed really good flashes of what we know are there.
“The key thing is that he’s 15 and it’s weighing up that aspect of it where you’re not endangering him or putting him in a scenario where it’s unsafe for him.
“We thought today was a good opportunity, I wrestled with starting him and then wrestled back to the fact that we started Patrick Kelly when he was 17 and Alfie is only 15.
“I wanted to gauge how the game was going and then get him out there.
“I’m delighted for him, it’s a nice reward for him as he’s been in training with us for a few months now and doesn’t look out of place in first-team training.
“The key thing is now letting him catch up physically for the rough and tumble of the Irish League.”
This time last year it was Patrick Kelly who was making the headlines for the Bannsiders ahead of his move to West Ham.
Since then he has gone on to the FA Youth Cup with the Hammers.
Kearney is delighted to see more local players make the breakthrough with Coleraine, but he feels it would be unfair to make comparisons between Kelly and Gaston.
“There’s no comparison as Patrick is Patrick and he was superb during his whole time with us,” he said.
“It’s not about trying to make Alfie live up to anyone else, Alfie is Alfie and he’ll go about his business his own way.
“It’s great, it’s testament to the work going on around the club and I think it’s so important having a crux of local players and local identity. I don’t think we ever want to lose that as a club.
“You still have to be good enough and that’s where you have to be patient and wait for the right ones.
“It’s a great start for Alfie, he still has a lot to do but I’m sure the same boy will keep his head down and start working.”
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