Falkirk attacker Alfredo Agyeman on remarkable Scottish football rise and his confident first Premiership goal hopes.

A first Scottish Premiership goal would cap off a remarkable journey for Falkirk attacker Alfredo Agyeman - and he is confident that he will get off the mark in the top flight soon enough.

The Ghanian forward, 25, has taken advantage of the Bairns’ injury issues up top and has started two out of the last three games. He’s shown up well against Motherwell, Hearts and off the bench at Easter Road against Hibs. The only thing that’s been missing from his performances so far is a goal.

And hitting the back of the net in the Premiership would be some story for Agyeman - who has climbed up the divisions from the fifth tier to the very top. Five years ago, his pre-Christmas fixture was a Scottish Lowland Football League match for BSC Glasgow against the University of Stirling. He got off the bench that day, helping the team to a 2-1 win. This Saturday’s he’s likely to be leading the line in a Premiership fixture for Falkirk against Kilmarnock.

Agyeman’s amazing Scottish football journey

Agyeman spent six months at BSC before getting the chance to play for high-flying Kelty Hearts, and he helped them climb the SPFL before eventually joining McGlynn’s then League One Bairns. He’s scored in, and won all three lower-league SPFL divisions. And a goal would cap off his journey, even if doesn’t get a Premiership winners’ medal this term.

On his rollercoaster journey, Agyeman - who came to Scotland as a teenager after living in Italy - reviewed the past few years and how he’s adapted to Premiership life.

“I wanted to push myself right from the off as a young player and to get here is a good achievement,” he said. “But you want to make sure that you stay here or go on even further. It’s been a rollercoaster for me in terms of going down and then up through the leagues. Playing in the Lowland League, making the move to Kelty Hearts and then joining Falkirk. Considering where the team has come from and where I have come from, it’s been special. The determination from the first season under the gaffer (John McGlynn) in League One to the Championship to now this season in the Premiership. It was all down to hard work.

“Watching the games here in the top flight, even when I was back in Italy, you saw the big games at Celtic and Rangers and had always wanted to play there - and now I have. There are some amazing stadiums with great pitches and facilities. It’s been good so far, difficult but good! I always have high expectations and the club does too but we know that other clubs have big budgets and international players. But we are happy with where we are.

“The gaffer has put lots of faith in me and there is trust there - I don’t want to disappoint. I feel like I’ve shown that I can handle things so far but I need to keep doing that. Every game is hard. The intensity is much quicker and the tempo is much faster. It is a very tactical league too. When you play against teams, like when we faced Motherwell, so much goes into it tactically. You need to know the positions you should be in. We want to keep picking up points. It won’t be easy this weekend, the Kilmarnock players will want to show a reaction.”

Agyeman ‘confident’ of scoring first Falkirk top flight goal

Agyeman has managed 17 appearances so far this season in the Premiership and he is now “desperate” a league goal this weekend at Rugby Park. The attacker is confident that it will come sooner rather than later.

“You never know what is going to happen so you need to be ready if you get that opportunity,” he added. “I’m happy with the games I’ve came off the bench in and now started. You need to try and do well when you are in the team so you can stay in it. I know I can give so much. First and foremost you want to help the team. But I am desperate to get that goal but I know that it is going to come. It’s just about continuing my hard work and determination.”