Hamilton Accies chairman Ronnie MacDonald has lambasted the Scottish FA for failing to call up whizz-kid James McCarthy as a youngster. Accies boss Billy Reid informed the SFA of the midfielder's precocious talents when he was only 16, but it was Ireland who capitalised on Scotland's failure to call-up McCarthy.

"When he first came to us as a 14-year-old, I just assumed he was Scottish," MacDonald told the News of the World. "How was I to know his grandfather was from Donegal?

"But the Irish have a good scouting network and came and watched our games. They knew.

"I'd certainly hope he won't be vilified because he's supposedly turned his back on Scotland. What people should be wondering is how did Scotland miss him?

"He made his full debut for us a few weeks later. Maybe if I'm stupid, but if I saw a club in Scotland had a guy that age in their team and scoring, I think I'd put him in a Scotland squad to see if he was any good.

"At the time he wasn't considered good enough for Scotland's Under-16 team. Yet Ireland were happy to pick him for their Under-17 side the first chance they got.

"It wasn't long afterwards that we got a written offer for him from Liverpool. He then won the SFL Young Player of the Year award last season.

"The whole thing is mind-boggling. We must be a fantastic football nation to lose Aiden McGeady then do the same with James."