St Johnstone’s 14-year-old Scottish Youth Cup hero will get the best of both worlds when it comes to football career advice.
Brodie Dair, who scored the winner for Saints in their under-18 quarter-final against Dundee United to set-up this Friday night’s last-four clash with tournament favourites Celtic, is the son of former professional, Lee Dair.
Lee played for Cowdenbeath, Raith Rovers, East Fife and Partick Thistle but admits that learning from his mistakes will help his boy after his early years in the Rangers academy weren’t put to full use.
And if he wants to know the right way to have a long and successful time in the game, he can speak to his uncle, Jason!
“Getting this far in the Youth Cup is great but playing at this level is just a step,” said Lee. “You’ve not made it.
“That’s what I keep telling Brodie.
“It’s easy for me to tell him what not to do because that’s what I did.
“It wasn’t a case of me thinking I’d made it but I didn’t try as hard as I should have.
“I didn’t live my life right.
“I had pals who were joiners and electricians and were going out on a Thursday and Friday night.
“Me being me, unfortunately I was doing the same.
@connollyjon any excuse to post this😂 pic.twitter.com/hsB6zMAuq3
— Lee Dair (@lee_dair) March 27, 2021
“I didn’t give myself the best chance.
“Without being on his case all the time – he’s got to be a kid – that’s why I’m telling Brodie that nowadays you don’t make it in football unless you put everything into it.
“He’s having a good time just now, playing well and getting a wee bit of recognition.
“But that will dip and it’s about how he reacts to that.
“Jason has already spoken to him about not getting too carried away. It’s only a step.
“Jason (a Raith hall of famer who also made over 100 appearances for Dunfermline) obviously played at a good level for a lot of years. He knows the dedication and commitment it requires.
“He can tell Brodie what to do and I can tell him what not to do!”
Knows where the camera is
Lee, who was coaching at Hill of Beath Hawthorn alongside Jason until recently, was bursting with pride when the youngest player on the pitch scored a last minute quarter-final winner in the January Saints v United contest.
“I was standing right next to the camera he ran to,” he said. “I was calling him a poser for running straight at it!
“I’m not saying I did anything great in football but in all my time involved in the game that was probably the best feeling I’ve had at a match.
“I was so pleased for him.”
A comeback that secured a spot in the semi-final 🤩
Watch all the action from Saints U18's dramatic 2-1 victory over Dundee United in the Scottish Youth Cup quarter final.#SJFC | pic.twitter.com/tUcWeohNnW
— St. Johnstone FC (@StJohnstone) February 1, 2023
Lee added: “He’d been at Hearts for a six-week training spell but he said he didn’t like it there, which was enough for me.
“He played with his friends at the Blue Brazil Boys Club, Fife Elite for a couple of years, then back to play with his pals.
“St Johnstone had heard good reports so they asked him to come up and train. Alistair (Stevenson) wanted to sign him after his first session but I wanted to give it a couple of weeks to make sure he was enjoying it and he has.
“He’s loved it there.
“Alistair was my coach at Rangers when I was a bairn.
“I trust him. When they were talking about what they planned to do with Brodie in terms of dipping his toe in with the under-18s, I just said ‘you do what you think is right’.”
Baby of the bunch
Most of the Saints under-18 squad are 16, with Brodie the baby of a young but highly-talented bunch.
“It’s a great thing for Brodie to be playing up,” said Lee.
“He needs to learn from coming up against boys who are stronger, quicker and more physical.
“He has to find different ways to get away from a player or beat a man.
“Sometimes in his own age group he can knock it by a boy and go by him just with pace. You can’t do that going up the levels.
“He’s 15 in June so he’ll have a few tries at this cup hopefully.
“I’d say his strengths are he’s natural in the box and doesn’t panic. He scores a lot of his goals by passing the ball into the corners rather than blasting them.
“He moves well in front of defenders and has good anticipation in the box.”
Another player who has caught Lee’s eye is fellow striker, Jackson Mylchreest.
“He scored a goal on Friday night with his wrong foot – a 20-yard volley into the top corner,” he said.
“What I like about him is he’s not just a player, he works hard as well.
“He’s not one of those who thinks everything comes easy after he’s had a bit of success.”
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