MORTON goalkeeper Ryan Mullen believes he has finally shaken off the hype that surrounded his early career after establishing himself as number one at Cappielow.

After picking up Ton's young player of the year award, Mullen opened up on the pressures he faced after signing for Celtic as a kid.

He was repeatedly linked with big clubs south of the border and suffered injury problems but says that stepping away from all of that and making it in first-team football is giving him the grounding he had always longed for.

Mullen says he is relishing the pressure that comes with playing in Scotland's second tier.

He told the Tele: "I got my chance and did my best to grab it with both hands. I don't think things could've been much better.

"Looking back on that time when I was younger, I had those what-if moments with my thigh and being linked here and there.

"I've kind of come down to reality and grounded myself now. I'm constantly playing in professional games, matches that mean something.

"There's people's careers on the line as a result. It's not just everyone starting out. There are guys with kids to look after and who still harbour big ambitions to play at the top level.

"I feel as though I've stepped away from all the hype that was around me from when I was younger and have really focused in on producing the goods on a weekly basis.

"Playing men's football at a prestigious club in a serious league has been grounding. I've been able to stand up on my own two feet which I think makes me prouder than maybe looking back in ten years' time and seeing that I was linked with teams.

"I'll feel a lot more prouder of being able to compete in this league and hold my own. I am thankful to have shown what I'm capable of."

Looking back on his side's mid-season 16-game unbeaten run, Mullen feels they displayed their potential as they look forward to next term.

He told the Tele: "We were winning games, getting clean sheets and we were on a roll. Then I picked up a niggle in my groin, which was frustrating. It was one of those situations where you ask yourself do you try and play through it, or take yourself out.

"Through my experience previously of trying to play on with my thigh injury and speaking to the manager about it, it didn't make sense to play the way through it.

"Jamie MacDonald was happy to step in too, but at that point there were a few injuries and a lot of changes which led to things dipping again.

"Going sixteen games unbeaten showed just how capable the team were."