Viljami Sinisalo reflects fondly on his loan spell at Ayr United, recognising it as a pivotal step in his journey towards joining Celtic.

Sinisalo penned a five-year deal after securing a permanent transfer from Aston Villa last week and will be mentored by experienced shot-stopper, Kasper Schmeichel, during his time with the Glasgow giants.

The 22-year-old goalkeeper was speaking at a recent charity event in Washington, D.C., where Brendan Rodgers' squad are currently on a pre-season tour, and shared that piling his trade with the Scottish Championship outfit was his first genuine experience in men’s football, whilst admitting he learned invaluable lessons both on and off the pitch.

The challenges he faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as living alone in a new country with limited social interactions, were instrumental in shaping his character.

“Going to Ayr was my first experience in men’s football. I learned so much," the Finland internationalist confessed.

“It’s character building when you go – in Covid – living on my own for the first time ever, since moving to the UK. I learned a lot. Obviously, nothing was open. It was Covid. No fans, no coffee shops. You couldn’t really get out. But it was a great group at Ayr. I still text and speak to a few of them there.

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“It builds your character. You get used to playing in different conditions and different things are required of you.

"I remember my fourth game, we were playing at Arbroath on a Tuesday night and waves were coming over the wall! You kind of experience it straight away. You learn so much from that. Those were the first steps into professional football for me.”