ZACH SULLIVAN is the latest player to commit to Braehead Clan after signing a new two-year deal.

SportTimes can exclusively reveal the British talent put pen to paper yesterday to extend his current contract that was due to expire in summer 2016.

Brought in just under a year ago from Basingstoke Bison, the 20-year-old defenceman went on to rack up 60 games for Clan last season under Ryan Finnerty.

Nobody could have expected the progress or performances shown by Sullivan, who quickly became a firm favourite of the Purple Army on their march up the Elite League.

Now he becomes the second Brit, after new recruit Jordan Cownie, to pledge his allegiance to Braehead ahead of the new campaign.

Sullivan said: "There is an element of unfinished business here, definitely.

"It was such a great season for us and it was disappointing it ended the way it did after winning the conference and going so close to the league by only being one point away.

"The way the club is going under Finner and Gareth [Chalmers, hockey director] it kinda feels like the team is only getting better. It was a no- brainer to secure myself another year.

"It's me having faith in the club that we can improve and them having faith in me to keep doing a job for them. So far it's worked out well."

Now back home at his parents' house in Surrey, Sullivan is enjoying a break from the rigours of being a professional ice hockey player at one of the Elite League's biggest clubs.

Bizarrely, though, the Englishman admits there is one thing he is missing more than anything else - hearing Flower of Scotland before each game.

He said: "Playing in front of our fans is unbelievable. Every week there are so many of them turning up screaming their hearts out, I'm surprised they have any voices left at the end of the game.

"Especially when they play the bagpipes with Flower of Scotland before each game, it gets your goosebumps going and you feel great and excited. You work harder because you know if the fans are passionate then so should you.

"God Save The Queen is the English anthem, but when it comes on, nobody really sings it. It's not like that in Braehead with Flower of Scotland as 3,000 people sing it. It's something else, and I can't way to get back to it."