Footballers at 25-years-old are usually just beginning to hit the prime years of their career.
For Dundee’s Cammy Kerr, though, his 25th year has brought an unlikely achievement upon the horizon – a testimonial.
Testimonials are a rare thing in modern football – for a man so young, almost unheard of.
Ten years at one club is now the exception to the rule, true or not, that often paints professionals as mercenaries in the modern era, constantly on the look-out for a better contract elsewhere.
And they are almost always reserved for players in the twilight of their career.
Kerr has been involved in two testimonials in recent years. The first for Dundee favourite Julian Speroni at Crystal Palace in 2015 when the Argentine was 36.
The second in 2017 for a 36-year-old Dave Mackay at St Johnstone where Dundee were again the opponents.
However, after agreeing a new two-year deal last month Kerr did the maths and realised that deal would cover his 10th season as a Dundee player.
Meaning he would become the first Dark Blue to get a testimonial since Bobby Geddes in 1989.
Kerr said: “I had counted the years I had been full time after leaving school so I asked the question.
“When I was growing up, if someone had said I would play so many games for Dundee and get a testimonial, I just wouldn’t have believed it.
“Since it was announced at the same time as my contract, I have had a lot of people asking about it and it has been good.
“Honestly, I think I could field six teams with the amount of people who have asked to play!”
Debut: Nerves and John Brown’s back-handed compliment
After signing his first pro deal at Dens Park in 2012, Dundee fan Kerr made his debut appearance as a nervous substitute at home to Livingston in January 2014.
In fact, he was so anxious about stepping out onto the field, he admits he needed help warming up following the call from manager John Brown.
“I remember it was against Livi and we were 1-0 down,” Kerr recalls.
“Bomber just turned round to the bench and said ‘c’mon son, go and get yourself ready’.
“Karen Gibson the physio had to go and get Kyle Benedictus to warm up with me as she knew I would be so nervous and anxious!
“Kyle was out with me and then I got the whistle from the manager to get back in.
“Shortly after coming on, I managed to have a shot. After the game, I remember Bomber came in and gave me such a back-handed compliment, saying: ‘It took us until the 86th minute to have a shot fae f****** Cammy Kerr’!
“There was me on my debut thinking, ‘Cheers, gaffer’!
“I am sure he meant it in a good way.
“I only played 10 minutes but I never slept that night as I was just so pumped with adrenaline.”
Bomber’s standards
And Kerr reserves plenty of praise for the old-school approach of John ‘Bomber’ Brown, not just for giving him his first run-out as an 18-year-old.
But for instilling in him the work ethic that he retains to this day.
Kerr said: “I loved playing for Bomber, not only because he gave me my debut, but because of how disciplined he was and the hard graft he put in.
“It sounds so simple but he would have had that as a Rangers player growing up and wanted it for us.
“I remember his first day as manager and he came in to watch us young boys.
“We played Inverness at Montrose and we were terrible. He had us back at the ground cleaning footballs because the standards hadn’t been good enough.
“I take that lesson into everyday life now.”
Testimonial opponents?
The big question now for Kerr is who the opponents might be. The two testimonials he played in, Dundee were chosen because of the impact the club had had one both Speroni and Mackay.
Kerr, though, has only really known life as a Dundee player, with a short spell on loan at Peterhead his only departure.
Could it be an all-city affair with rivals Dundee United the opposition? Or a chance to take on Crystal Palace once more and renew the bond between the clubs?
The 25-year-old wouldn’t turn those down but admits there is one dream opponent he would choose in a heartbeat.
Kerr said: “I just want it to be a celebration and done right.
“I know it sounds far-fetched but I would love the opposition to be Manchester United.
“They are my team apart from Dundee.
“When I was younger, I used to go down to a Manchester United residential football camp near Stoke-on-Trent for a week.
“I did that for four years and was just besotted by everything they did, the Man United way.
“I ended up getting to train with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who is of course the manager now.
“You did skills tests throughout the week and if your scores added up if you were at the top you got to play in the World Skills Final at Old Trafford. It was great to be able to do that.
“So to play them would be amazing but you also have to look at Dundee United and Crystal Palace.
“With United, there might be a few tackles flying in – I wouldn’t want to get sent off in my own testimonial!
“But it would be good for the city.”
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