Ethan Kevill is desperate to repay the unrelenting efforts of his parents as he pursues a breakthrough at Ross County.
Halkirk-born forward Kevill is part of the Staggies’ under-18 squad, which plays in the Club Academy Scotland Performance League.
Although he is now based in Inverness, the 17-year-old relied entirely on his parents to make the 188-mile round trip to Dingwall multiple times a week for several years.
Kevill’s father Anthony is a manager at Bell’s Seafood, while his mother Sadie works in integrated children’s services.
Kevill played at Victoria Park for the first time in last Friday’s Scottish Youth Cup defeat to Kilmarnock, and also came off the bench in Wednesday’s North of Scotland Cup victory over Brora Rangers.
He insists the dedication of his parents has given him the hunger to succeed.
Kevill said: “I started off two or three years playing until under-15s, with my mum and dad and a couple of others trekking me up and down three or four times a week.
“That’s part of the reason I went to the college, because they were taking plans out of their day and stopping work sometimes.
“It’s going to have a toll on them.
“In the Kilmarnock game I just thought: ‘I’m not having my mum and dad trekking all the way down for three years for me not to track a winger,’ as I owe it all to them for those three years.”
Determination of County coaching staff rubbing off on Kevill
Carl Tremarco is in charge of County’s under-18s side following a recent restructure of the youth setup, which is being spearheaded by academy manager Gary Warren.
Kevill insists the hard work ethic of the pair is rubbing off on him, as he aims to absorb as much as he can from the staff and players around him at Victoria Park.
He added: “Gary Warren and Carl Tremarco are people I listen to every time they speak. They are fighters, as they were throughout their careers.
“They said they made their careers through the ugly side of the game, and I’m trying to adopt those harder parts.
“You can be however flashy you want, but if you are not going to track a winger it’s no use.
“When I was 14 or 15 joining the club, and watching the older age groups, I was seeing how well they were playing and taking influence from it.”
Kevill faces a crucial upcoming period, given he is in his final year within County’s academy.
The Caithness youngster insists he will not be holding back in the coming weeks, as he aims to catch the eye of Staggies boss Malky Mackay.
He added: “It’s my last year here in the academy, so it’s about blocking everything else out and having tunnel vision. I need to go for it.
“The experience of playing on the pitch here just makes me want to work harder to get more games like that.
“I want to push on and get involved with the first team – it’s what we are all looking to do.”
Conversation