Barcelona monitoring Irish talent McCarthy

Asked about the rumours linking Irish youth international James McCarthy (18) with several European top clubs, George Gray, the agent of the midfielder whose contract with Scottisch Premier League club Hamilton expires in 2011, has said in an interview with Irish newspaper Sunday World that Barcelona is one of the clubs that is following the player:

"The number of clubs who have contacted me about James is unbelievable. He has been down to Liverpool and Reading are seriously interested. But several Spanish sides, including Barcelona, have asked to be kept informed of his situation. There are a number of English clubs keeping tabs on his progress but for the moment he is enjoying playing in the SPL for Hamilton.

James really is a wonderful talent. I know what the likes of Chelsea have and he is as good as anything down there. I contacted the Scottish Football Association on numerous occasions to inform them about James. I was informed that, in their opinion, he wasn't good enough.

So, during a chance phone call to a board member at St. Pat's I mentioned I had a fantastic talent who was eligible to play for Ireland. Within an hour, Under-17 manager Sean McCaffrey was on the phone and just ten minutes in to the game, Sean turned to me and said: 'Bloody hell, we've just discovered the next Roy Keane here'."

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