Lyall Cameron has joined the 100 club at Dundee.
The 22-year-old is the creative beating heart of the Dark Blues despite only fully emerging from the club’s academy system two-and-a-half years ago.
Swiftly he has become one of the most talked-about young talents in the Premiership and has already surpassed a few club legends in his short career.
It has been a story of ups and downs for the young midfielder but he continues to impress on the top stage in Scotland with four goals and four assists to his name already this term.
Courier Sport picks out the big moments in Cameron’s young career.
Debut
The Scotland U/21 international revealed in an in-depth interview with Courier Sport that his debut was actually slated to come on the same day as Fin Robertson and Josh Mulligan.
Those two made their bows as 16-year-olds on the final day of the 2018/19 season when James McPake took charge.
Cameron was a sub that day and was due to come off the bench late in the game. However, Darren O’Dea’s red card on his final Dundee appearance took away his chance.
A few months later the big day came, replacing Andrew Nelson in a 3-0 League Cup win at Raith Rovers on the opening day of the following campaign.
His first start, though, was one to forget as he was subbed at half-time in defeat at Dunfermline and would have to wait over a year for another first-team appearance.
First goal
Fast forward to July 2022 and – after a long wait – Cameron was back in the team again, this time under manager Gary Bowyer.
A late sub on opening day, Cameron sealed a 3-0 victory over Hamilton Accies at Dens Park.
A cross from Paul McGowan was controlled in the box before the youngster spun and fired a fierce effort past the goalkeeper.
Cameron would go on to haunt Hamilton that season.
It took a while to shake off the super-sub tag but the goals started to flow and Cameron became a regular starter for as the season progressed.
Hat-trick hero
Cameron struck again against Hamilton in the league before hitting yet another major milestone in April as the title race hotted up.
Already on nine goals in his first full season, the diminutive playmaker led the way as the Dee dismantled Accies at Dens.
The final score was 7-0 with Cameron notching the first Dundee hat-trick by a non-striker since John Brown in 1985.
The first set up by former youth team-mate Mulligan, the second a low snapshot and the third a glancing header.
“I said to the boys they weren’t pretty goals but if three go in the net, I am happy!” Cameron said afterwards.
Champion
The young star continued to shine and would finish the campaign with 14 goals in 39 appearances, including one in the title-winning victory over Queen’s Park on the final day.
Not only would the team title come his way that summer but also a clean sweep at the club awards do.
No player had ever won the Andrew de Vries Player of the Year, Player’s Player of the Year and the Isobel Sneddon Young Player of the Year award before.
There would also be places in the PFA Scotland and SPFL Championship Teams of the Year.
Out of contract that summer, Cameron had the opportunity to move on from Dundee. However, he signed a new two-year deal with the Dark Blues to head into the Premiership.
Since then nine top-flight goals have followed, 12 in all competitions, as well as PFA Scotland and Football Writer’s Young Player of the Year nominations plus a second Dundee Young Player of the Year gong.
Impact
It has been quite a century of appearances for Lyall Cameron at Dundee.
He has notched 26 goals and laid on 12 for his team-mates. That’s in 77 starts.
That is a goal for every three starts and an assist for every six starts.
He has moved level with Fabian Caballero’s goal tally and has surpassed Doug Cowie, Willie Falconer, Kevin McDonald and Gordon Strachan.
This season he is equal fifth in the Premiership for goal involvements, fourth for chances created and one of the best in the division at winning possession in the final third.
A top talent in dark blue – who knows what awaits as he heads beyond a century of Dundee appearances.
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