Cameron Has What It Takes To Be Successful
Last updated : 26 November 2010 By Covsupport News Service/RD
Coventry City manager Aidy Boothroyd has backed his up and coming young defender Nathan Cameron to make a success of his footballing career.
Boothroyd has been impressed with the 19 year old central defender and has given him some opportunities to prove himself on the Championship stage. Last year Cameron was playing in the Coventry under 18s and later with Nuneaton Town, but his qualities have ensured he has broken into the Coventry senior squad.
Boothroyd said of Cameron to the CT at the club's weekly press conference: "Nathan's biggest quality is his temperament. Wherever he is playing and at whatever level, his attitude is absolutely fantastic. Nothing fazes him and he's the first one to go and get the balls in after training or help Harry, Martin and myself."
"I think a lot of young lads these days forget about the important little things and get carried away with themselves, but he's a good lad and that's why I think he is going to go on to become a really, really good player for us, a big player and I think he will have a terrific career if he can maintain that."
Boothroyd then added, "His mentality is that of a defender. He thinks about danger and worries about things. He is a pessimist when the ball is in and around our area and that's why he gets the blocks and clearances he does, and puts his head on a lot of things and defenders have to have that, they have to have a defensive mindset."
"They have to like getting hit with the ball and he's got that in his locker. He is not worried about doing mazey dribbles or step overs like some players are in the back areas of the pitch. He defends first and foremost and that's why I like him. I think he is solid and reliable, and a genuinely nice young man."
The first signs of how highly Bothroyd rated Cameron came on the first day of the current season when he named Cameron ahead of the highly experienced Richard Wood in the team that went on to beat Portsmouth 2-0 in the opening game of the season.
Cameron was dropped after the defeat at Millwall and spent time on the bench, but he was picked to start against Burnley last week after Richard Wood was asked to fill in at left back.
"He hasn't got the experience yet or made enough mistakes and learnt from them." explained Boothroyd.
"He came out after the Millwall game because I didn't think he played particularly well. I thought he lost his way a little bit and played a couple of reserve games where he was really poor and I let him know that, but in training he has got better and better and he has earned the right to be back in the team and it is up to him to stay in it."
"We have got some good centre halves at the club and he is in there fighting with them, and at the moment he has got the shirt and if he continues to do what he did in the last game then he'll keep it."
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