Falkirk have signed 21-year-old left-winger Jack Compton from Blue Square South side Weston-super-Mare.

Compton, who had spells with Portsmouth and West Brom, finalised the deal with Bairns manager Eddie May on Saturday.

The player had signed a pre-contract agreement with the Scottish Premier League basement side in December after a trial the previous month.

Compton said: "The players, the staff, especially the gaffer, have been so helpful. It's nice to be wanted."

Present Celtic manager Tony Mowbray took Compton to West Brom as a teenager, but the winger failed to recover his promising form after suffering a serious knee injury.

He ended up at Weston-super-Mare after a failed spell at Brighton, but regular football brought back his confidence.

Falkirk fought off interest from the likes of Newcastle to secure his signature.

"I'm really excited," he said. "A lot of people have asked whether I'll be nervous, but I'm more excited to be playing against top teams.

I've got my confidence by playing every week for Weston-super-Mare. Hopefully I can help Falkirk and establish myself here New Falkirk recruit Jack Compton

"I was at Portsmouth for five years until I was 17 and Tony signed me from there.

"He helped me a lot and I appreciate what he and Mark Venus did. They gave me a lot of pointers, what I needed to work on. When he signed me, it helped me improve a lot.

"I stayed three years at West Brom. I started off really well and got close to breaking into the side, but I had a big injury, I shattered my cartilage in my knee and was out for five months.

"But now I've got my confidence by playing every week for Weston-super-Mare. Hopefully, I can help Falkirk and establish myself here."

Compton's form alerted several league bosses, including Eddie May.

"I started in February and helped them stay up," Compton said.

"At the start of this season, I said to myself I wanted to be at a professional club by the end of the season. Obviously, it has come sooner.

"It was quite flattering how many clubs were interested. But, as soon as I came up here, I knew I wanted to be up here."

May puts much attacking emphasis on his two wide midfielders and Compton is sure he can add something to Falkirk's attempts to get off the bottom of the SPL.

"I'm a natural wide-left player," he said. "The way they have been playing lately is definitely going to suit me. I just can't wait to start."

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