A former rising star of the Irish League has a debut to remember on Saturday as he produced a Man of the Match display to help Fleetwood Town secure a 1-0 win.
Stephen McMullan, who joined the Fishermen from Warrenpoint Town last summer, produced a superb showing against MK Dons after being handed a first start by boss Scott Brown.
The 18-year-old only found out on Friday he would be playing in place of Jay Lynch, but said the manager's belief in him helped inspire his performance.
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“I got called up to the gaffer’s office yesterday morning and he just said to me that I’m starting tomorrow, I believe in you," he told the club website on Saturday.
"I was over the moon with the opportunity, and I just wanted to seize it with both hands.
“Funnily enough, my dad knew before me as he got told the night before by our Academy manager so when I phoned him up, it wasn’t a surprise to him. He was delighted and so were my family – it was a brilliant feeling and I’m still buzzing.
"My dad, mum, and sister came over as well as my best friend from Ireland
“They told me they were very proud and that it was a proud moment for the family. My mum told me she was proud of me, she tells me that every day so it’s great to have their support every day of my life.
“I’m delighted with the result, the boys in front of me really helped me as they were able to talk me through the game, and the fact they threw their bodies on the line in the last moments also helped settle the nerves as I was getting used to different aspects of the game.
“Jay [Lynch] is such a role model around the club, I train with him every day and he always keeps the standards high. Before we left the training ground yesterday, he pulled me to one side and gave me a few bits of advice which really helped me settle into the game.
“Even in the warm-ups, he settled me down by giving me pointers and guides of how the game was going to go and what I might feel in certain moments, he’s a role model that’s for sure."
Former Celtic captain Brown was delighted with McMullan's performance and said he will be challenging for the number one spot now.
“It’s fantastic for Stevie [McMullan], he’s worked hard all season and is another player who we’ve brought over from Northern Ireland as we have a good connection with the Irish market, but I’m just delighted for the wee man to have kept a clean sheet," he said.
“He had a couple of big saves to make as well and I thought the calmness he had when the ball was at his feet was good, but he’s now putting [Jay] Lynch under pressure with this man of the match award – I can’t take anything away from his performance, he was very good.”
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