JACKIE McNAMARA is confident he has struck the right balance between youthful exhuberance and experienced campaigners as Partick Thistle gear up for the new Irn-Bru First Division campaign.

The Jags boss has just three players – captain Alan Archibald and midfield duo Hugh Murray and David Rowson – over the age of 30 in his first- team squad, with his Firhill kids set to lead the way this season.

Summer arrivals Aaron Muirhead, Steven Lawless and Sean Welsh have all impressed for the Jags so far.

And McNamara reckons there is plenty more to come from his Jags squad in the weeks and months to come.

He said: "We will just have a reserve team next year, we won't have an Under-20 team. We have got some friendlies lined up for that group of players. The age of that team varies from 16 to 19, 20.

"They are playing against men, which is a great experience for them. We will be Under-20 anyway to be honest, the first team are that age.

"I am happy with the balance we have got. We have a couple of guys at 20, 21 and some at 19 in the first-team squad.

"Stuart Bannigan and Stephen O'Donnell are only 19 and it is easy to forget that sometimes.

"People go on about how young some of the other teams in our league are. We have five or six that are only 21. The two Aarons, Christie Elliot, Steven Lawless, Conrad, James Craigen and Welsh is only 22.

"It is a relatively young group, but we have that bit of experience with Archie, Hugh Murray and Rowser, who has still to come back after his back injury."

One of the brightest talents to emerge through the Firhill ranks in recent years is goalkeeper Ryan Scully.

The youngster proved an able deputy for number one Scott Fox last season as he stepped into first team action with ease.

He has yet to feature this season because of a knee injury, however, with kid keeper James Wightman taking his place on the bench.

McNamara said: "Ryan damaged his knee in training, he just opened it up a bit. We have been building him back up. He has been doing a bit this week so hopefully he will be back training fully soon.

"Hopefully he is back soon. Scott is number one and it is up to him to go and push him. The games he played last year, he came in and did well.

"He made a couple of mistakes against Livingston that proved costly. But he is only 19 and that is very young for a goalkeeper. He is only going to learn. He has certainly got a big future."