Leon McCann relishing Premiership chance with Falkirk

Leon McCann is intent on proving he belongs in the Premiership after going through the hard yards in the lower leagues to earn his crack at the big time with Falkirk.

The 25-year-old left-back spent the first five seasons of his senior career in League One with Airdrie and then the Bairns before stepping up to the Championship.

Following a second consecutive promotion with Falkirk, McCann has started each of their three matches in the top flight so far and he is loving every minute of it.

“Obviously I’ve been at this club when we were sixth in League One, so for me to still be here in the Premiership, it’s huge,” he said.

“It’s always been a dream to play in the top league in Scotland, so I’m just happy that I’ve been able to do that.

“I want to play as many games as possible in the Premiership. It’s huge for my family as well, coming to see me play at these stadiums on a Saturday, after coming to watch us at Kelty Hearts and Montrose and places like that. We’ve come a long way.

“You always have that belief that one day you’ll play in the Premiership, but when I was in League One for four or five years straight, you’re going ‘I don’t know if this will happen’.

“Obviously, with how quick we’ve turned this round as a team, it’s now become a reality. We all want to stay here for as many seasons as possible, because you reap the rewards with things like the international break as well as getting the exposure for everybody here.

“I’ve been here when it’s been the lowest of the lows at this club, so we’re cherishing every moment.”

Falkirk host St Mirren on Saturday buoyed by having won their first Premiership game in more than 15 years in their last match away to Aberdeen.

“For a lot of the boys it was their first win in the Premiership, so the feeling was amazing,” said McCann.

“We didn’t want it to be a case of ‘when’s Falkirk’s first win going to happen?’, and the longer that goes, the more pressure builds, so the fact we were able to get the monkey off our back was a huge relief as well as sheer elation for everybody involved.”