A UNIVERSITY graduate has vowed to keep chasing his football dream after signing a deal with full-time Falkirk.

Keelan Adams made the step-up from Glasgow University to Cumbernauld Colts at the beginning of the season.

Since then, he has starred for the high-flying side in the Scottish Lowland Football League.

His impressive performances, including five goals from right-back, caught the attention of former Musselburgh Athletic manager John McGlynn, who has snapped him up for Championship-chasing Falkirk.

Adams said: “When I was at university, I knew I was better than the level and thought I would see how far I would get.

“I definitely did not expect to move from Cumbernauld Colts to Falkirk in potentially the Championship but I have always dreamt of being a footballer.

“When I was younger, I loved it and I was in some youth academies.

“I got a taste of what it is like to play at a higher standard.

“I have never given up on the dream.

“Maybe the reality is you need to get realistic and play part-time football but, even playing part-time, I take it really seriously.

“I make sure I am one of the fittest on the field or in the team.”

The 22-year-old moved to Glasgow for university after leaving North Berwick High School.

He graduated last summer with a degree in history and politics.

However, while his classmates were going on to get jobs or study for a masters, Adams opted to try to push on with his football dream.

A move from the university’s side to Cumbernauld Colts has paid off, with the Broadwood side pushing East Kilbride at the top of the fifth tier of Scottish football’s pyramid.

Those impressive showings caught the attention of Falkirk, who sit eight points clear of Hamilton Academical in League One as they bid to return to the second tier for the first time in five years.

Adams, who grew up at Ferrygate Farm with sister Isobel and mum and dad Lucy Miller and Kevin Adams, said: “In the second week of the new year, my coach just phoned me and said Falkirk were interested in bringing me in.

“They had been talking to them for a wee while.

“One of the coaches knows the assistant manager at Falkirk and they had been keeping in touch to keep a lookout for this player.

“The Falkirk manager and Paul Smith came along and watched me against East Stirlingshire.

“They played at the Falkirk Stadium and it was a night-time game on a Tuesday or a Wednesday night.

“They watched me and I played quite well and scored a goal.”

Since then, Adams has been in on trial with the Bairns and signed a two-and-a-half-year deal – joining Port Seton’s Liam Henderson, Elphinstone’s Sean Mackie and North Berwick’s Coll Donaldson – before being loaned back to Cumbernauld.

He is looking to finish the season strongly before aiming to impress in pre-season at his new club.

Adams, who works as a barista at Costa Coffee in Glasgow, said: “It is the perfect opportunity at this time because I have not got a graduate, full-time job but my full focus is on the football for now.

“If it does not happen and I do not keep progressing then obviously I have got my degree to fall back on.

“I could go back to university and do a masters degree and continue playing part-time.

“I don’t think I will ever give up playing football until I cannot run!”