HURDLES star Hayley McLean has been crowned European Junior Champion barely a year after she nearly quit the sport.

The 18-year-old from Stanford-le-Hope beat the best under-20 athletes on the continent in a thrilling 400m hurdles final in Rieti, Italy.

She admitted to being in tears for hours after the victory as her decision to keep pursuing her athletics dream proved justified.

“This time last year I was 90 per cent going to give up,” said McLean whose disillusionment stemmed from the fact she was overlooked by Great Britain selectors for last summer’s World Junior Championships.

“I was going to go back to playing football like I did when I was younger. I just couldn’t cope with the pressure and I wasn’t enjoying it anymore. It’s amazing when I look back to then, now I can’t see myself wanting to do anything else. I couldn’t be happier!”

McLean puts her change of heart – as well as much of her success – down to coach Steve Mitchell.

“Steve sat me down and told me about other big athletes such as Colin Jackson and Sally Gunnell missed out on selections throughout their careers,” she said. “And I know it’s a cliché, but he said what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. That’s what I did, I used last year to motivate me.”

And that decision was one of the many things flashing through her mind as she stood on the top step of the podium, desperately trying to hold back the tears in order to sing the national anthem after collecting her gold medal.

“It really hit home when I was stood on the podium,” she said. “I was crying my eyes out. I couldn’t sing any more. I was like, ‘pull yourself together’, but it was then that I realised this is what I’ve worked so hard for. “It was one of those moments you dream of, standing on top of the podium, hearing the national anthem.

“I still can’t believe I’m the European champion, I have to keep looking at the medal to see if it’s real. It’s hard to believe. I only started in athletics because I was a hyperactive kid and my mum just said ‘right, let’s send her to a club!’ Now I’m the best in Europe!”

To win the final, McLean had to run the third fastest time ever by UK under-20 athlete of 57.26s, just getting the better of French athlete Joan Medjid – not that she remembers any of it.

“I was so, so nervous before,” she said. “I didn’t think I could pull myself together. But Steve had a quiet word with me and told me to relax and treat it like an Essex final and to just do what I do. It was all down to him really!

“I can’t remember anything about the race. It wasn’t until the last hurdle when I remember seeing everyone and thinking this is going to be a blanket finish.”

McLean wasn’t sure she had won straight away. Her GB team-mates were telling her she had done enough but it wasn’t until the TV cameras came to her did she realise.

“I started crying my eyes out then and didn’t stop,” she said.

Also crying their eyes out in the stand were McLean’s mum and dad, Karen and Alex, and sister Danielle.

“I am so lucky to have such a supportive family,” said McLean. “I take up a lot of their time but I’m lucky to have them.”