Fleetwood signing Harvey Macadam fought to live his dream

Town confirmed on Sunday that the 20-year-old midfielder had joined them from Northern Premier League club Ashton United on a two-and-a-half-year deal.

Macadam tweeted: “So happy to have signed my first professional contract. Thank you to my family and friends helping me get to this point. I can’t wait to get going.”

And nobody is more proud than dad Nick, whose son worked hard to realise his dream despite a series of setbacks – he had trials at Blackpool, among others, and a scholarship at AFC Fylde.

Nick said: “Harvey has been so determined. We’ve had tears when he’s been rejected but he deserves everything he gets. It’s been a different pathway but it’s been a good one.”

First spotted by hometown club Burnley, Macadam was also a youth player at Blackburn Rovers before arriving at Fylde.

Nick takes up the story: “He got spotted by Burnley when he was actually watching his older brother Ewan playing.

“They saw him kicking a ball at the side of the pitch and asked him to go down. He was only eight or nine.

“He was released and within a month Blackburn came in for him. He played right-back or right wing-back for five or six years.

“He got released at 16 by Blackburn and had trials here, there and everywhere.

“It was his size – he was about 5ft 9ins, and looked like a 14-year-old at 16.

“He was a late developer but his ability was never in doubt and he’s 6ft 4ins now. He’s gone through the roof!”

Macadam spent a two-year scholarship at Fylde and Nick believes he would have won a professional contract there in 2019 had not a play-off final defeat by Salford City cost the Coasters a place in the EFL.

Instead he found himself back in east Lancashire and in the North West Counties League with Nelson, where he had enjoyed a loan spell from Fylde.

The step up to Ashton followed in February last year but then, Nick adds: “Covid happened and put everyone’s plans on hold.

“But this season he’s really taken the bull by the horns, playing centre midfield, and attracted a lot of attention.

“There seems to be a pathway at Fleetwood. There are a lot of young lads in the first team.

“He was so happy with what he saw there, he wanted to make that move happen.”

That small 16-year-old is now a big prospect and his dad is overjoyed.

“He has pace as well as power. Hopefully he can carry on the way he has been.”

Thanks for reading. If you value what we do and are able to support us, a digital subscription is just £1 for your first month. Try us today by clicking here