Fulton hoping Hamilton move will be 'great stepping stone' after Anfield exit
Ryan Fulton has known for years he would struggle to make the grade at Liverpool - but now he hopes Hamilton can lead him back to football's big time.
The Scotland Under-21 goalkeeper spent a decade at Anfield after joining the Premier League giants as a schoolboy.
But even with rivals Simon Mignolet and Loris Karius finding themselves in and out of the first team last season, he realised Jurgen Klopp was never going to give him his big break in front of the Kop.
Now the 21-year-old has joined Accies - but is already setting his sights on landing a bigger move.
Fulton, who was previously sent out on loan to Portsmouth and Chesterfield, said: "It wasn't that hard to leave Liverpool at all really.
"It's tough to get into the first team down there and I'm now at the age where I need to be playing and to be challenged. So I think coming here could be a great stepping stone for me.
"At Liverpool, they won't give you a chance if you don't have experience. That's why I was going out on loan to try and get that experience.
"I guess I realised it wasn't going to happen for me at Anfield when I turned 18. You see the bigger picture and what's in front of you.
"I went in every day and gave it what I could to try and get there. But eventually I just didn't think it was going to work out, so I decided this summer it was time for me to move on and get playing.
"It was still a great grounding for me, getting to work alongside so many top players every day. The guys are great down there and the level of football they play at is unbelievable.
"I think coming here will be a good challenge for me, which is what I need. It could be a good stepping stone for me to go on to better things.
"But right now it's a good club to be at and a good league to play in. It was a no-brainer really."
Fulton was born in Burnley but qualifies for Scotland thanks to his father, a Paisley Buddie and Rangers fan.
But while his old man is eyeing up November 18's trip to Ibrox, he is looking forward to re-acquainting himself with one of his old Liverpool mentors when Celtic visit the SuperSeal Stadium on September 8.
"My dad supports the blue side so he's more happy than I am about this move I think," said Fulton. "He's already told me he wants some tickets when we go to Ibrox.
"It will be good to see Brendan Rodgers again though. When I was training with the first team during his time at the club I got to see a lot of him. He was a really good guy and gave me a lot of pointers, so I have full respect for him.
"But I'll be trying to put a spanner in the works when we play Celtic. He's done a great job up here but it's no surprise to see him doing well."
Fulton will find out on Saturday whether he has a fight on his hands with Gary Woods to be Martin Canning's number one as the Hamilton boss names his team to face Betfred Cup opponents Queen of the South.
"I expect a fight for the Hamilton jersey," he said. "The other keepers here already are great but it should be a good test for us all.