CONOR KEARNS SAYS he is determined to nail down the No.1 goalkeeper spot with St Patrick’s Athletic after dropping his Masters in Common Law at UCD to join the Richmond Park club.

The 21-year-old admitted manager Stephen O’Donnell has given him no guarantees of a starting place, with Brendan Clarke, Barry Murphy and Republic of Ireland U19 international Brian Maher all still on the books.

Kearns, however, feels the time is right to take on the challenge of full-time football, having forced his way into the Ireland U21 set-up while with the Students last season.

“Now is the time for me to focus on being a footballer, to focus on hopefully being the No.1 here. I’m coming here to be a footballer and nothing else,” he said.

“One of the most important things Stevie [O'Donnell] said to me is that I’m not guaranteed to be No.1. He would have been lying if he told me I was so I appreciate that.

“It’s a straight shootout between everyone. The most impressive people will play and hearing that has made me hungrier, it shows me how hard I will have to work, which matches my ambition. If I do the right things I’ll start and if don’t then I can’t have any complaints.”

Kearns says he will be “proud” to play in Inchicore, where his two grandmothers are from, and he is determined to help St Pat’s challenge for silverware.

“It’s not that long ago that the club was steeped in success with league and cup wins. All the players coming in here, that’s what we have in mind. We want to push that top two.

“Stevie seems to have come in and changed something in the culture, changed something in the belief and brought in younger players, maybe a bit hungrier, and that’s what I want to be a part of.

“He’s really changed the appeal around St Pat’s, it’s a club with a lot of ambition now and he’s selling that image. He seems to really be putting the plans in place to make that happen.

“The players have to show we want to play for the club, have to show we want to play for them. We want to bring the club back to where it can be, if we do the right things the fans will come.”