Hamilton Academical Football Club are delighted to announce that three Accies Academy players have signed their first professional contracts with the club.
Jamie Herd, Michael Marks and Josh Carson have all agreed deals with the club and will continue their development as part of our Under 19’s squad.
15-year-old midfielder Jamie Herd joined our Academy in 2019, working with both our U16 and U18 squad last season. Jamie travelled with the team for the Super Cup NI, scoring in our 4-0 win over Rangers.
17-year-old goalkeeper Michael Marks joined our Academy in 2023 and has been part of the travelling first team squad last season. Playing for our U18s team last season, Michael featured consistently including back-to-back clean sheets against Celtic and Dundee Utd.
16-year-old midfielder Josh Carson joined our Academy in 2023, taking part in the trip to Northern Ireland last season as part of the Super Cup NI squad as well as featuring for our Under 18s team last season.
Speaking on the signings, Academy Coach & Under 19’s manager Shaun Fagan said: “I’m delighted for the boys to have signed their first professional deals, they’ve worked hard for the opportunity but now the real hard work begins. It’s about continuing their development and pushing on with the aim to break into the first team.
“I’ve worked with them a lot over the last few years, they’ve all been developing well and that showed last season.”
Club Owner, Seref Zengin said: “As the proud Turkish owner of this great Scottish football club, it brings me immense joy and pride to announce that three more of our academy graduates have progressed to first team professional status. This is more than just a milestone – it is a clear reflection of the values, vision, and commitment we have placed at the heart of our club.
From the moment I took stewardship of this institution, I made it a personal mission to keep our Academy in place, despite us being Relagated to League 1, to create real opportunities for young players to dream big, work hard, and represent their club with pride. Youth football is not only my passion, it is the foundation upon which I believe long-term success is built.
At our academy, we are not just developing footballers, we are nurturing character, resilience, and a deep sense of identity. To see our young talents make the step into the professional game is proof that our model is legitimate, and that the pathway from grassroots to first team exists.
As we move forward, my aim is to take this Academy and our people to the next level”
