Ayr United stopper Ollie Ecrepont on his impressive East Stirlingshire debut and why he made loan switch

The 16-year-old, who has come through the Somerset Park side’s youth academy, officially joined Pat Scullion’s Shire hours before their league match against local rivals Linlithgow Rose – and he was thrown straight into the starting eleven for his first senior start.

And he played a big part in helping his team pick up a crucial three points, making a number of excellent stops during the 2-1 victory, which moved the Shire within five points of 15th placed Albion Rovers.

Speaking to the Falkirk Herald, Ecrepont revealed why he believes East Stirlingshire is the perfect fit, saying: “I only found about the interest last Monday. Everything happened really quickly and I was asked if I would be willing to go out on loan and it was a no-brainer for me.

"I was excited about the move straight away and I know that the Lowland League is a good level. My brother Finn went out on loan at a similar age to Albion Rovers a few years ago and he spoke highly of the club and how much it did for him as a player.

"It is a similar move for me. Playing men’s football at this age is an opportunity you cannot turn down. I really enjoyed making my debut We try to play out from the back and we don’t move away from that.

"I really like that part of it – knowing that the manager has a style that suits me as a goalkeeper. I want to be a modern goalkeeper and that is just part of the game, being good on the ball and not being afraid to have possession if it comes to it.

“The way we play is exciting and I think we can really climb the league table over the next few months. I want to help the team as much as I can. This is a great opportunity for me to play senior adult football at such a young age and I am really grateful to East Stirlingshire for wanting to take me on loan.”

On his debut performance, he added: “I was nervous at the start of the game for sure but I felt relaxed quickly enough. Everyone at the club has been so welcoming and the atmosphere is great – the manager has been brilliant too and he basically told me just to do what he seen me do at Ayr.

"It was good that I got a bit of action early on in the game and that calmed me down. Proving people that I am good enough is a big thing for me and it was nice to play so well in my first game.

"I know that I am young at 16 but I also know the ability that I do have. When you are that age some people may have the wrong perception about you. I now need to not let my standards drop.

“Will I go the rest of the season without making a mistake? Probably not, I am here to make mistakes in a way and learn from them. Learning is the biggest thing for me while I am here. If you lose a game or a goal at youth level, it doesn’t mean the same as it does at senior level.”

Ayr United parted company with head coach Lee Bullen earlier this week with the Honest Men sitting just two points above bottom club Arbroath in the Championship table, but Ecrepont says his full focus is on East Stirlingshire.

The young stopper has also been tracked by a string of English Premier League clubs over the past 12 months, with Ecrepont spending a week on trail at Brentford in January last year.

“I am only thinking about East Stirlingshire at the moment,” he said. “There are some brilliant goalkeepers at Ayr at the moment. When I am back at the club in the summer I can then think about pushing them as much as I can. The main thing for me is that the first team experience I gain here will really help me longer-term.