Neil Urges Focus From Hamilton

Photo by Jeff Holmes

Hamilton boss Alex Neil has warned his ambitious Accies players to keep their minds on the football and not on a lucrative move away from New Douglas Park. Defender Stephen Hendrie and striker Tony Andreu are the latest Hamilton pair to have been linked with January transfers after playing their part in the team's successful return to the Scottish Premiership. Celtic are interested in both, while Barclays Premier League side West Ham are keeping close tabs on Hendrie in particular. Neil said: "The boys know that if they continue to do well here that if something does crop up, we won't stand in their way. "But if they take their eye off the ball and think they will get their move without anything happening then they could find themselves out the team and that move will quickly disappear. "But they are all completely focused. Not one of them has mentioned a single thing about transfers." Neil is still waiting for firm offers to land on his desk but he has told interested clubs they should be prepared to fork out serious money if they want to sign any of his players. He said: "We've had no contact at all so far for any of our players. It's still early days in January but most clubs, unless they are prepared to pay top dollar, will wait and try and get their targets on the cheap. "But no-one will be leaving here on the cheap. The club is good at making sure it gets the maximum for anybody moving on. "We don't want to sell anyone. But at the same time we are a selling club. If we receive a deal which is right for the player and the club, then we won't stand in their way." Accies - who face Dundee United on Monday - have a proud record of developing youngsters. The likes of James McCarthy and James McArthur started off at Hamilton before making their names down south. But even if the likes of Hendrie or Andreu do move on this month for significant sums, Neil is not expecting a change in strategy. "Are you kidding?" he said after being asked if he expects to see any portion of future transfer fees. "Any money which comes will go back into the youth academy. I might potentially get some money to sign somebody but it will be a free transfer, we won't spend any money buying someone. "We are what we, and that is very well run. And generally when someone else goes, we will replace them with one of our younger players. We will give them their chance to show what they have got. "I've got a few in the Under-20s who are itching to go. They are top of their youth league and some are ready to go in the first-team right now. "We've seen that with Jason Scotland, who wanted to move on and get game time somewhere else, leaving this week. We've now got Eamonn Brophy to come in. "Jason even thought he was hampering Eamonn because he acknowledged that what he needed now was games." Neil's side kicked off 2015 with back-to-back wins over Motherwell and St Johnstone - moving them up to third place. That has convinced the player/boss his side no longer have to worry about relegation. But Neil is not ready to consider leading the club into Europe for the first time ever. He said: "The top six is certainly achievable. We are 12 points ahead of Kilmarnock with 13 games to go before the split. So the top six must be the target for us. "I'd be disappointed if we didn't make the top six, let me put it that way. With such a big lead, I'm now looking at Killie and St Johnstone and thinking, 'Why can't we pick up as many points as they do?' "But it's really premature to talk about qualifying for Europe. There is a long way to go. If you make the top six, you are then playing the top teams who are all fighting for prizes, so it will be difficult."