Rangers and Hibs rejected me and I was freed by Hearts so I worked in Costa Coffee - now I could be Premiership-bound

Keelan. The name derives from Ireland and translates into the word slender. Its definition is: Gracefully slight. Thin and delicate, often in a way that’s attractive.

As a young footballer desperately trying to make the grade, Keelan Adams’ body fitted the description. But in terms of being appealing to Scotland’s top clubs? That certainly wasn’t the case. When Hearts let him go, there was a danger he could be lost to the sport all together. A university degree in history and politics followed, along with working as a coffee barista, as football was put on the back burner.

But thankfully for Falkirk – and maybe even the Scottish game – while Adams’ physical stature might have been flimsy, his mentality was fiercely strong and iron-willed. That’s why, at 22, he’s arguably the best right-back in the Championship and heading for our top flight. His journey has been nothing short of remarkable. Bairns boss John McGlynn plucked Adams from Lowland League obscurity where he was playing for Cumbernauld Colts.

Since then, he’s excelled against sides such as Hearts and Celtic. With such a high ceiling, it’s impossible to predict how high Adams could go. But given how his career started, the fact he’s made it as a pro is an achievement in itself. In an exclusive interview with MailSport, Adams said: “There have been moments where it’s all been a bit surreal. When we beat Hearts in the League Cup this season, someone told me a mad stat. That exact week, a year before, I had played against Hearts’ B team for Cumbernauld Colts in the Lowland League.

“Twelve months on, I was beating their first team. But I always had the ambition to play at the highest level. Did I think it would come this fast? Probably not. Especially to play