Keelan Adams says it is “surreal” to know that he’ll be a Scottish Premiership player next season after a stunning breakthrough year with Falkirk.

The 23-year-old ex-Glasgow University full-back, who has excelled this season at right-back after impressing at centre-back in pre-season and the Premier Sports Cup, was playing for Cumbernauld Colts in the fifth tier of Scottish football just over a year ago while working in Costa Coffee.

Speaking after the Bairns’ Scottish Championship title win, he said: “It is unbelievable. It has been a mental season. Some players don’t get to win a trophy in their whole career and I have managed to do it in my first proper season as a full-time player.

"It is surreal. I am so proud of the boys and to be honest myself. My journey has been different from most but I have always believed in myself. Things like that can happen but you don’t expect it to be you that it happens to. That’s probably the easiest way to describe it.

All smiles from Falkirk full-back Keelan Adams (Photo: Michael Gillen)

placeholder image — All smiles from Falkirk full-back Keelan Adams (Photo: Michael Gillen)

"I’ve always backed myself. From the start of the season it really felt like this could happen. Was there nerves towards the end (of the campaign)? Yeah, I would say so but that is only natural. But excitement was always the main emotion. It is a tough league and it wasn’t ever going to be easy to get the title over the line. I don’t think the achievement has sunk in yet. I know that I will look back on the past 12 months or so for the rest of my life.”

Adams penned a one-year extension last November with interest from other clubs across the UK. The full-back says he is loving life at the Bairns and that comes with playing for Falkirk.

"It is a massive club,” he said. “I am staying humble. I want to keep learning. Before pre-season, I never thought I would be a starter straight away. I need to keep playing well, that’s always what I am thinking.

"I love being here. Home and away each game feels like a big one. We bring more away fans to some stadiums than there is in the home end. You can feel how big a club Falkirk actually is. I still haven’t probably realised that.

Flying Falkirk full-back Keelan Adams lifts the Scottish Championship trophy aloft (Photo: Michael Gillen)

"Over the past few weeks, the fans have really stuck by us and the support all season long has been amazing. They’ve never stopped singing and backing us. You can feel the connection between the players and the rest of the club.”