GREENOCK footballer Luke McCowan has struck gold — after bagging a league winners’ medal and a new contract following his first full season as a senior.

The 20-year-old east end midfielder is on a high after capping his debut campaign as a professional with Ayr United with the League One title and a 12-month extension at Somerset Park.

He is also relishing the prospect of playing hometown club Morton in the Scottish Championship and Betfred Cup next season.

The left-footer has worked his way through the Honest Men’s youth ranks over the last four years and impressed manager and former Ton boss Ian McCall.

Luke told the Tele: “To be honest, I didn’t think I’d get a medal being one of the young boys but I forgot how small of a squad we were, so we all got one.

“When the full-time whistle went everybody was just looking around and I didn’t know what to do. I ended up surrounded by all the fans and I was loving it.

“We went to a gathering after it and I realised just how big the club is.

“The whole day was incredible.

“I haven’t had as good a day as that since winning the Scottish Cup with East End United and to top it all off I’ve signed for another year.”

The former Notre Dame High pupil was a regular fixture in the first team throughout the league-winning campaign and also shone for the club’s development squad.

Although minutes on the pitch were sometimes limited, the promising midfielder savoured every opportunity.

Luke said: “At the start of the year I was playing a lot and involved in cup games — I scored in one of my first games against East Stirling and that was amazing.

“I was also part of some massive games against Rangers and when we played Kilmarnock at the beginning of the season when we won one-nil.

“Seeing the likes of Rangers players up close like that, it makes you want to do even more. “That’s my goal this year, just to play.”

His football journey has been aided by the likes of former Morton striker Lawrence Shankland, who he has built up a rapport with, and he is using fellow local pros like Celtic’s Lewis Morgan and Kilmarnock pair Greg Taylor and Adam Frizzell as inspiration.

Luke said: “The club is in an amazing place at the moment and everyone about the club has been brilliant, from the canteen folk to the kit man.

“It’s old school, which is great, and there are chores like cleaning the dressing rooms and the first team players help out whenever they can.

“Shankland, especially, we’ve become really close pals and he’s only 23, so he’s still young and been through it all with Aberdeen. “It’s good to learn off guys like him and being around the first team.

“You also earn their respect because you’re putting in the hard work.

“You see the likes of Greg Taylor, Lewis Morgan and Adam Frizzell — and I know them all — doing really well and going away with Scotland and it gives me a bit more drive to get to where they are.”