I had the opportunity to discuss with Liam his recent signing of a three-year full time contract with Celtic after being with the club since he was 6 years of age! We also touched upon how he believes futsal has positively influenced his development and we hope that stories like these help to motivate current Escocia players.
How does it feel to sign your first professional contract?
It feels amazing and i am excited for the next steps.
Did you think you'd be in this position 10 years ago?
Yeah, I always believed in myself and never thought that I may not make it to full time.
What are your ambitions for this season?
To push for the first team, to train regularly with them and hopefully get some minutes.
Where do you want to be in 5 years time?
I want to be playing regularly at a high level and to have a strong career in football.
How did futsal help you in your development?
Futsal has greatly helped. The way I play right now is due to futsal. My technique has improved a lot through futsal. It has allowed me to do things that I wouldn't have been able to do just by playing football.
Would you recommend futsal for any aspiring footballer?
I recommend futsal for any footballer as the effects are amazing. Firstly, it is great socially and a lot of my favourite memories are from futsal. Futsal helps players who play in any position. It improves your control, dribbling, 1v1, and quick thinking which are all crucial in 11 a side football. Most importantly, I enjoyed futsal and the extra sessions and matches. They were a great way to top up what I was already doing at Celtic.
How regular did you practice in your own time?
Now I don't have as much time to practice as I am training a lot. The sessions are intense and now I need to think more about my performance and recovery. I need to be preparing as best as I can for training and matches.
When I was younger, I tried to train every day. I would have a ball out before and after school and outside of my training sessions. Doing this has always given me the edge against opposition and I am very thankful to have done it as it has made me a better player.
Did being off during covid give you more contact time with a ball?
During covid, I had a lot more touches of the ball than I would normally have as I wasn't at school. The most important thing at a young age is contact time with a ball, so I am thankful to have had this period of time to improve my touch. The Futsal Escocia Zoom sessions also helped my ball mastery, touch and fitness.
Did you do 1-2-1 sessions?
No, I find training with others and competing more beneficial. I had good discipline in training on my own and found working on ball mastery, keepie uppies and using a wall more effective. Plus that is free!!
