Joe has his sights set on making the big time

Oct 22 2009 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

GRAHAM DORRANS, Robert Snodgrass, Murray Davidson, James McPake and Leigh Griffiths.

All these five top class young players have graduated with honours from Livingston’s lauded youth academy and look destined for the top level.

Dorrans has already picked up a first full Scotland cap while Snoddy would have made a debut in the same game but for a crocked knee.

Griffiths has already scored 11 goals for Dundee following his six-figure summer transfer and is currently Scotland’s top goalscorer while Davidson is starring in the SPL and has been tipped as a future international.

But Joe McKee could well turn out to be the best of all the high-class youngsters to have hopped off the Almondvale production line.

McKee made just two senior appearances for Livingston but his performances for the Livi youth teams, where he helped the under 19s to league and cup glory at the age of just 15, brought him to the attention of scouts from across the border.

He was invited south for a trial with Premiership newboys Burnley where he impressed boss Owen Coyle who swooped with a £100,000 offer for the teenagers signature.

And since moving south McKee has already surpassed even his own early expectations by scoring a hat-trick for the youth team and earning a call-up and subsequent full 90 minutes for the reserves against Liverpool.

He said: “It has went very well indeed and I’m loving life here at Burnley. The resources and training facilities here are massive and this is what a player needs to progress to the next level I believe.

“There’s a big difference in resources and the number of coaches here and it can only help to develop my career.

“I’ve signed a two-year scholarship with Burnley with a further year on a professional deal.

“Hopefully I can continue to play well for the youth teams and try and sneak a few reserves games.

“I've already played a few reserve games which is quicker than I could have hoped as I’m still only 16 years old.”

The Glasgow-born midfielder immediately endeared himself to his new team mates with a goal against Preston on his youth team debut before he bagged a hat-trick a week later in a 6-3 romp over Accrington Stanley.

His eye-catching form earned him a place in the reserves line-up against Sunderland and recently Liverpool where he even had the chance to start up alongside the Clarets first team boss Owen Coyle.

“I scored a hat-trick against Accrington Stanley in one of my first games which was the perfect start for me,” admitted McKee.

“It helped me settle in well. One of my goals was a freekick and that is something I work hard at it in training and even after training. It is paying off a little as I scored two in two games this season.

“I did miss a penalty against Wigan in the Alliance Cup in a shootout but it shouldn’t have got there as we battered them.

“But at the end of the game the coaches just said not to worry about it as penalty shootouts are a lottery.

“We have all been told that at this stage our game is all about youth development rather than results.”

McKee headed to Turfmoor for a week-long trial in June and the teenager was thrown in at the deep end with a series of trial matches, including one against the next generation of Fergie’s Fledglings at Manchester United.

He continued: “I came down on trial and played right midfield against a Manchester United side at their training ground at Carrington where we won 1-0.

“We did a bit of training but we played quite a few games in that time and apart from the Man United match we also played Rochdale and Blackpool and I reckon my performances in the games earned me my move.

“It is how you play in games that are more important.

“I spent five days on trial before I went back up to Livingston for seven weeks.

“I didn’t know if anything would come of it so I just got my head back down at Livi and worked hard.

“I was still a Livingston player and if I hadn’t got the move then I’d still be there now, working hard and doing my best to get into the team.”

The midfield playmaker was a keen spectator in the Ewood Park stand on Sunday for the fierce derby between his club Burnley and neighbours Blackburn Rovers and he concedes he had no idea the rivalry was so intense before joining the club.

“The rivalry with Blackburn is massive and was something I didn’t really know too much about until I moved down here,” he said.

“It is as big to fans here as the Old Firm in Scotland and the whole week was about the game and it was great to be there watching from the stand.”

Top class youngsters are woven into the fabric of Livingston FC and this season free scoring winger Andy Halliday, midfield siblings Keaghan and Kyle Jacobs and stopper Cameron Macdonald have caught the eye and could be drawing scouts back to Almondvale before too long.

There is no doubt that in recent years Almondvale has proved to be a happy hunting ground for clubs from the Scottish top flight and England.

And young McKee reckons he won’t be the last from last season’s under 19 league winners to earn a dream move.

He explained: “I remember watching the likes of Dorrans and Snoddy training with the first team and you can see the level they have reached now. They are playing at such a high level and earning international caps and it shows it is all possible.

“Andy Halliday is scoring a few goals for the seniors which is exactly what he did for the under 19s and he could do well anywhere. Another player I like is Kyle Jacobs who is very strong.

“He’s good in the air and can play almost anywhere. He’s right back now for the seniors but he was great behind the strikers for the youth team and he won’t look out of place anywhere on the park.”

McKee already has two under 19 league titles and two under 19 League Cups to show for his three years at Almondvale but he reveals he holds his second title medal closer to his heart than the first.

“I won two under 19 league medals and two cup medals but to be honest I never felt like I really earned the first one as I was only coming on for the last 15 or 20 minutes of games that season,” admitted McKee.

“Last season though I think I played every single game as we won the title. But I had more disappointment after injuring my calf in the cup semi-final which meant I missed the final and didn’t really feel part of it after the match.”

It was last season where McKee really made the Livi management sit up and notice.

Thirteen goals in just 17 starts for the under 19s earned him places in former manager Paul Hegarty’s first team squads while he was also hand picked by former owner Angelo Massone himself, to join Leigh Griffiths and Andy Halliday on a training trip to Italy to explore the possibility of a link up with former Serie A champs Parma.

“We trained with the Parma players and also played a game to get a wee taster of Italian football.

“It was with the Parma Reserves and Sparky, Andy and myself all started. They were very good technically but the biggest difference for me was the time you were given on the ball.

“I remember taking a ball out of the air at one point in the match and fully expecting to have someone clatter me or be on me in a second as I was used to but I had tons of time and space and that was a big difference. The other difference was in the final third when the defenders simply kick you.”

Before departing for Burnley, McKee made his senior Livingston debut in a home match against Elgin City and he admits he was delighted to have had the chance to run out at Almondvale in a senior game before moving on from the club.

He added: “I came on against Elgin and Albion Rovers this season for my first two senior appearances for Livi and I’m glad I managed to make an appearance before I left.

“I had also had a run out against Falkirk and Hibs in pre-season and getting to play for the senior side was massive for me.

“If I’d been asked at that point if I’d rather get a youth international call up or a place on the first team bench then I’d have taken the bench any day as the first team is where you want to be and where all youth players aspire to reach.”