New Peterhead signing Conor Cullen is hopeful his switch to Balmoor can be the gateway back into the SPFL.
Cullen, who joined the Blue Toon last week, had been out of the senior football since leaving Partick Thistle in 2017 and was playing for junior side Drumchapel United.
But an injury to goalkeeper Lenny Wilson, which looks set to keep him out for at least three months, hands an opportunity to Cullen to compete for a place with regular number one Brett Long.
He was contacted by Peterhead scout Mick Murphy, who had scouted him for Celtic when he was a teenager, and trained with his new colleagues for the first time last week.
Cullen will not take anything for granted but admitted he had given up hope of joining the senior ranks again.
He said: “I hadn’t even thought about it, to be honest. It was just about getting back to playing juniors and if we won the league, we’d go up to the bigger junior league.
Welcome to Peterhead
Peterhead FC are delighted to announce the signing of Conor Cullen
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— Peterhead FC (@pfcofficial) January 13, 2022
“That was all that was on my mind. I didn’t even think of ‘if I play well, I can get a move further up’.
“I didn’t expect it at all. I’ve been out the game for maybe two years playing junior football and I got the phone call asking if I would be interested. I jumped at the chance to be honest.
“I just hope I do enough. I’m not thinking about it being just to the end of the season – I’m hoping to do enough to maybe get another contract, now I’ve had another taste of it again.
“I hadn’t really been getting that intensity of goalkeeper training. After getting that taste of it, I do want to be back here again.”
Cullen played in Partick Thistle youth teams with current Peterhead midfielders Andy McCarthy and Gary Fraser, as well as coming up against Long when he was at Motherwell.
He spent 18 months with Cambuslang Rangers before joining Drumchapel in January 2020 and is determined to make the most of his step up the leagues.
Cullen added: “Hopefully I get an opportunity to play – then it’s up to me to make sure I take the opportunity.
“I just want to work as hard as I can, every training session, and hope the gaffer gives me a wee sniff. If I do, then take it and hopefully impress enough to get another deal.
“It was good to be back involved again (last Saturday). It’s been a while at that level.
“Saturday is massive for the club, to potentially get into the last 16 of the cup. You can then get a big tie at home or a smaller club where you can win again.”
