Caley Thistle boss Duncan Ferguson is considering signing his son Cameron – but insists the towering forward must work doubly hard to secure a deal.
The 20-year-old has been training with the squad in recent weeks after leaving English Premier League club Newcastle United.
He had been on loan at Scottish League Two side Forfar Athletic, but didn’t feature as much has he’d hoped. He made 12 appearances and scored in the 4-1 Scottish Cup win at Huntly last October.
Ferguson pointed to the success of his short-term signing David Wotherspoon earlier in the season as an example of how free agents can come in and prove their worth.
The ex-St Johnstone star’s form and goal threat secured him a January move to Championship front-runners Dundee United.
He said: “Cameron, who is a free agent, has been training here for the last month.
“We have had bounce games to shape him up and see if we can get him up to speed.
“In his first game, he was fantastic – the best player on the pitch by a distance.
“Although he never scored, he set four of them up. That was his first game for months and months.
“He was at Forfar and never really got a chance. They played an older player.
“Cameron never got a look-in, but that doesn’t mean anything to me.
“David Wotherspoon sat in his house and never got a game for anybody before we signed him. Nobody thought he was good enough.
“He came to us and now he’s at Dundee United after a big move.
“I think Cameron has a chance and once we get through a few bounce games we will have another look at it – once he scores a few hat-tricks!”
Cameron is a ‘typical target man’
Ex-Everton caretaker manager Ferguson confirmed Cameron could score a contract at the Scottish Championship club, but insists it will come down to his professional judgement rather than family loyalties.
They “negotiated Cameron’s release from his Newcastle contract” in January and he’s spent much of last month training with ICT, but the bar has been set high.
He said: “He’s got to do twice as much as anyone else to try and get a contract here. He’s the gaffer’s son, so that’s what I told him – do twice as much.
“There is a chance for Cameron – we are down to the bare bones. It is a consideration for me to make.
“He has great potential, in my eyes – but I’m his dad.
“I’ve got the blinkers on, but I’m a professional coach as well and Cameron is a good player.
“He’s big – 6ft 5ins, left-footed and technically as good as you’re going to get.
“He’s a typical target man, not blessed with a great amount of pace but good technically and a good finisher.
“He’s just never really had a break, you know – a chance.
“I tell everybody, big guys come late. You’ve got to wait for them while they mature.
“They are not early kids, they come late.
“Cameron has always been tall, leggy, gangly, same as me in that respect.
“He’s not got the aggression I had. He’s a late developer.”
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Cameron is ‘a dedicated young man’
Ferguson hopes his son will make the best of his height in the game and says there are signs he’s just going to get better.
He added: “I let him be his own man, but I’ve certainly tried to instil the aggression in terms of heading the ball.
“I love heading the ball. Kids now can’t head the ball, can they? I’m not even sure if you’re allowed to head the ball in academies. It is drifting out of the game.
“Cameron’s height is an asset and he needs to use it. He needs to get better at it.
“We’re trying to coach that now because they don’t get coached that in academies.
“He definitely has the potential.
“He’s 20, coming up 21, hardly played any football, trains well, a dedicated young man.
“He is definitely on my mind, but I need to make sure I get it right, because you’re opening yourself up, then, signing your son.
“I’ve got to make sure he is better than all the rest, and even better again – twice as good.
“We need to make sure I get it right, but he certainly has potential.
“I’m a big believer in him.”
