Former Hearts striker set for return to SPFL - six months after leaving Tynecastle

Aidan Keena is reportedly set to join Falkirk

Former Hearts striker Aidan Keena is set for a return to Scotland.

The Irish striker left the Tynecastle side in January to join National League outfit Hartlepool United on an 18-month deal

However, with the players’ partner due to give birth in October he is keen to move back north and is set to join League One Falkirk, according to the Evening News' sister title the Hartlepool Mail.

Aidan Keena is set for a return to Scotland. Picture: SNS

Pools boss Dave Challinor confirmed the expected departure, despite Keena still being in his plans for the 2020/21 season.

"He’d been back up in Glasgow during the lockdown and it was always going to be a tough one so I spoke to Aidan pretty much straight away over the summer,” he told the Hartlepool Mail.

"It just fits better for him to be back up there for his first child and a girlfriend who was obviously a long way from home and no family support – it was always going to be difficult.”

He added: "We’ve just made a decision to look after his best interests at this point and hopefully he goes up there and everything is good and works out with his child and he scores a lot of goals for Falkirk and we see where we go.”

Keena was highly regarded in the academy at Hearts, making the step up to the first-team, after positive loan spells at Queens Park and Dunfermline Athletic.

The 21-year-old started Daniel Stendel’s first match in charge, a 1-0 defeat to St Johnstone and came off the bench in the 2-0 derby defeat to Hibs in December, but was deemed surplus to requirements in January, leaving with one goal in 18 games for the first-team, after being notified of his exit by Craig Levein.

Keena netted twice in eight appearances for Hartlepool before the football shutdown.