Youth Team reporter Daniel Mooney, caught up with Imps Scholar, Graham Hutchison, to discuss his footballing past, his experiences with the Scotland International set-up and his Imps future.
Lincoln City's Graham Hutchison recently hit the headlines with his call up to the Scotland U17 squad, and he certainly comes from good footballing stock. The young defender is a product of Bellshill, the Lanarkshire mining town which counts Sir Matt Busby, Billy McNeill and Ally McCoist among its famous sons.
Though it was away from this traditional heartland of British football where his career began. At the age of 6 Graham and his family moved to the Nottingham area and he took up the game, albeit with mixed success initially. "To be fair, I wasn't the best at that time and ended up being put in goal because I was that bad." He said.
Despite such inauspicious beginnings, more promising spells outfield with Bingham Town and Grantham soon brought Graham onto the radar of both Nottingham Forest and Lincoln City.
And when the time came to choose, it was the Imps who got the nod. "I thought that they had a good track record of bringing lads through into the first team," Graham explains, "It was the best decision for me. Of the second year scholars there's four of them hopeful of going pro at the club, and that's what I want.
"My whole game has come along in the last two years since I came here. I just feel I've improved massively."
Recalling the schoolboy Hutchison, Lincoln City head of Youth Tom Spall said: "He headed the ball really well for a fifteen year old, as he was at the time.
"We had a look at him and made our minds up fairly quickly. He can play. He's a footballing centre-back now.
"The gaffer [Chris Sutton] wants them to play from the back. Graham's got a decent ping, but when he gets the ball out of his feet and plays his fullbacks in he does it with some quality."
Spall also insisted Graham's Scotland recognition is testament to all the people who've worked with him. "It's good for the club and especially good for the department," he said.
"We had Jack Roberts the year before last go and play for the Republic of Ireland. It just gives us a bit of profile and a bit of media every time it happens, which can only be good for us."
Hutchison first came to the notice of Scotland's Youth setup in November 2008. They were in town for a Victory Shield game against England and ultimately took Graham away on their next tour, to Malta in January.
Graham said: "It was pretty amazing really. It's not something that you expect, to be playing internationally. I was nervous but it was more excited-nervous. I obviously put everything into it but then I ended up getting injured on my first trip.
"Obviously that wasn't too good, so on the second trip I was even more determined to get my spot on the team."
Running out in the famous blue shirt was an unforgettable experience for the young Imp: "There was a lot of nerves. But when the whistle goes you kind of forget about them and just go and play," he said.
"It was the same as always: play my own game. Don't try and change because I'm playing for my country, just play the way I know I can play and do what I'm best at."
It was also a proud moment for his parents, as Graham revealed: "They were really happy. My dad tried to come out to Malta but couldn't because of work. The first time they got to see me play was the last tournament I was in and that was really special having my dad there to see me play.
"My mum and dad have always done a lot for me, like running me round and coming to watch all my games."
At the time of his first call-up Graham was the only English-based player in the squad. "I fitted in really well," he said, "When you're there everybody's playing for Scotland.
"There's no separation in the camp between the Rangers lads and Celtic lads. You're just a team. Nobody really talks about what's going on at their club, we're just all focused on progressing in the tournament."
North of the border many column inches are being expended on Glasgow Celtic starlet Islam Feruz. The Somalia-born youngster became available to the Scots after a recent rule change on eligibility. While, even playing at several levels above his own age group, he has set pulses racing with his performances.
Graham said: "He was really good. He's got that something different about him: his speed and his football intelligence.
"He's only small but he's some talent for a fourteen year old lad. I saw a bit of him in the Victory Shield and he was just unbelievable."
It was reported this week that another of Graham's team mates, Aberdeen's Fraser Fyvie, has had a £10m price tag placed on him by club manager Mark McGhee.
Nothing can be taken for granted at this stage of a player's development, not even with 'wunderkinds' like Feruz. But Tom Spall is clear on what is now required from Graham.
"Keep fit" is his simple response. An ankle injury has curtailed Graham's appearances this season, though Spall does not harbour any mixed feelings about his charges representing their country: "It's just the injuries I think. Because he's been injured twice when he's been away, you do have your fears.
"Kevin [Oxby] our physio has done a good job with him since he's come back this time and he's getting back to some sort of fitness. But while you've always got it in the back of your mind, obviously we don't want to stop him or stand in his way."
Spall continued: "Now he needs to play regularly in our reserves, which I think he could do, should do.
"In the second year of his scholarship he should be looking to nail down a regular reserve team place. Then he has to catch the gaffer's eye and force his way into training more regularly with the professionals. Try and get on the bench for the first team and see where he goes from there."
Graham himself is under no illusions of what he has to do either. He said: "I need to keep progressing the way I am. Keep pushing for that next level up and get to the highest level that I can."
The Scot has already travelled light years from the hopeless kid who got plonked in goals, but do not be surprised if there is much more to come.
