McCarter stunned by Gloucestershire offer

Right arm fast medium bowler McCarter, who plays his local club cricket for Killyclooney, admits he was stunned when he received the phonecall from the club last week.

"I was in Foyleside when I got the call last week telling me that I got a professional contract at Gloucestershire, to be honest I couldn't believe it," he said.

The 18-year-old has been part of the Gloucestershire's Academy programme since winter 2008 and has been offered a full-time summer contract, which will culminate in a professional contract for the 2012 season.

"I've been attending the academy for three years now, you go over for the Easter and Christmas holidays and for the summer I spent two months there this summer and five weeks in 2009.

"It's fantastic and it's really helped me working with the coaching staff like Stuart Barnes and Jon Lewis has really boosted me.

"The first XI players have been great as well great, there's no 'them and us' and they always have time to help out the younger lads like myself," he said.

McCarter is currently studying for his A-Level but while his classmates will spend the summer nervously awaiting University offers, it is anticipated that he will join the rest of the Gloucestershire squad at Easter for a week's pre-season training before starting his contract in the summer.

"It's always been a dream to play professionally but I didn't ever think that this would happen so soon. I'll be over there from July to September next summer. I'll get a month off in October and then it will be full-time from November 2011," he said.

McCarter has played for the Ireland age groups at Under-13, U15 and U19 and hopes to play internationally at senior level in the not too distant future.

"My initial aim would be to establish myself as a professional cricketer. I want to work very hard and ensure that I can have as long a career as possible. In the future I'd love to play international cricket," he said.

Of course McCarter's first task will be to make an impression on the selectors at Nevil Road and force his way into Gloucestershire's first team.

"I haven't played for the first team yet but I've played quite a few games for the second team. It's going to take a lot of hard work to try and get to the point where I'm playing for the first team, it's a massive step up but it's a challenge I'm looking forward to," he said.

Gloucestershire Academy Director, Owen Dawkins, said: "It is great to see another Academy player being offered a full time contract.

"Graeme has been part of the Academy for two seasons and has regularly played for our 2nd XI. I look forward to seeing him continue with his hard work over the next year and seeing him progress into the first XI."