NEW Morton goalkeeper Ryan Scully has his sights on the number one jersey after joining the club yesterday.

The former Partick Thistle shotstopper penned a one-year deal after spending the last decade with the Jags.

Ton manager Ray McKinnon previously told the Tele he was keen to have two top quality goalkeepers competing for the number one position, with Scully now joining Ton shotstopper Derek Gaston on the books.

The Irishman is keen to stake his claim ahead of the new campaign.

He told the Tele: “All you can ask for is a fair chance.

“The gaffer has put that at ease for me and says whoever does the best gets in goals and from a manager you can’t ask for anymore than that.

“I just need to get my head down and work hard and hopefully I can get that nod at the start of the season.”

Following the Jags’ relegation from the Premiership last season after losing in the play-off final to Livingston, Scully was one of 17 players to be released.

McKinnon also said he was in discussions with Cammy Bell previously, but the former Dundee United goalkeeper opted to join Partick Thistle earlier this month.

But he got in contact with Scully, as well as talking to the club’s goalkeeping coach David Wylie and fellow coaches Paul Gallacher and Stuart Garden at Hearts and Dundee United respectively, with their endorsements proving helpful in McKinnon making his decision.

Scully was delighted to hear he had received the backing of his former coaches.

He added: “It’s much appreciated, you take great pleasure in hearing things like that.

“I’ve worked with a few of them, so it’s obviously helped having that rapport and it’s helped getting me a deal so it’s much appreciated and hopefully I can repay their faith. It was only the other day that Ray phoned to see what my situation was. I had talks with my agents and I was delighted to get the deal done so quickly.”

It’s the first time in 10 years Scully had been without a club during the summer months.

But after being released, the former Dunfermline Athletic loanee wants to thrive at his new club, and says the change of scenery was needed.

He said: “I’ve been there for 10 years so I’ve always had that security of having an extra year or so but it’s part and parcel with football and I’m just looking forward to this new chapter.

“During midway through last season I was getting a hint that I probably wasn’t going to get a chance in the team, so I was looking and I felt as if it was time for me to move on. 

“We didn’t know whether the situation would change or not, if they did get relegated then they would most likely keep me on, or if Tomas [Cerny] was leaving or not.

“But I basically got told Tomas had an extra year on his contract and financially they couldn’t keep both of us.

“It’s probably worked out for the best and it gives me a new fresh start and it gives me that hunger to go and get that number one spot again.”