Stephen Baxter believes young Carrick Rangers talent will 'prosper' playing alongside experienced Irish League stars
Carrick Rangers manager Stephen Baxter believes emerging stars like Jack Hastings will benefit from playing alongside “vast experience” at the Premiership club.
Teenage striker Hastings has arrived at Taylors Avenue on loan from reigning champions Larne after a hugely successful youth career, which included captaining the Inver Reds to Harry Cavan Youth Cup glory.
He spent the first half of this season with Championship outfit Annagh United before joining top-tier Carrick and has started in their last three league matches.
The 18-year-old is sharing a dressing room with the likes of former Manchester United defender Luke McCullough, Seanan Clucas and Paul Heatley, an Irish League legend who won three Premiership titles and four Irish Cup crowns under Baxter at Crusaders.
Alongside Hastings, Reece Webb, Cian O’Malley, Luke O’Brien, Shane Forbes, Jack O’Reilly and Jack McIntyre – all aged 22 or under – also arrived at Carrick during the recent transfer window and Baxter feels their development will only be aided by learning from experienced stars.
"There's vast experience around the dressing room at Carrick Rangers,” he said. “That is what you need at this time and the challenge we're facing in the next six or seven weeks...we're looking forward to that challenge.
"It's a dressing room full of experience and with some very exciting young talent in there, that will prosper in a dressing room like ours.
"These young players have been around at the level they've been playing at and this is their breakthrough time.
"He’s (Hastings) only 18 and you're going to get some good games, some mediocre performances possibly, but that's all part of the learning curve when you see these young players breaking through.
"He's showing a lot of talent from his youth career and you're looking for these young players to break through as you've seen with Lee Bonis and others as they all progress.
"They've had talent at youth level and they're ready to step into the next part of the game, and this is where it'll be the make or break for them to see if they can make the step up."
Former St Patrick’s Athletic defender O’Malley, who spent the past two seasons with Wexford in the League of Ireland’s First Division, has received high praise from Baxter in recent weeks.
"I have been impressed by his form,” added Baxter. “He came very highly-recommended to us.
"He came through the St Pat's youth academy and he got some game time at Wexford.
"He has established himself and in the game time he has had with us has been very good.
"I've been very impressed with a lot of what he's doing, as I have been impressed with others, but certainly he has done well in the last few weeks."