Islam Feruz admits he should have spent longer with Scottish giants Celtic.

The 21-year-old departed Glasgow for the bright lights of London when he was just 16 but things have not turned out the way he would have hoped since making the move down south.

Temporary stints at OFI Crete, Blackpool, Hibernian and current loan club Royal Excel Mouscron have occupied Feruz who acknowledges that he should have put his head down and concentrated on playing football rather than worrying too much about his future when he was a teenager.

“I'm not going into every detail but if I could turn the clock back then I would definitely have stayed at Celtic for longer," he told the Daily Mail.

“That would have given me more experience and a better chance of playing first-team football.

“Listen, I had my head turned at 15 years of age. I didn't realise there was money involved in football. I just played football for the love of the game.

“There is no doubting my ability as a footballer. I'm only 21. What I have to do is show everyone that I have matured. There are many things in my life I'd do differently. Yes, I've done things I'm not proud of.

“The only thing that keeps you happy is playing football. I am wiser and doing things differently.

“Thankfully, I have a few very good people around me, two of whom are Amadou Anglade and Brian Wilson. They are wise men and they have different life experiences. I am learning from them and moving in the right direction."