Hearts youngster Leo Watson heads out on loan for second time this season

East Fife have announced the signing of Hearts youngster Leo Watson on a loan deal until the end of the season.

The left-back will look to help the Methil club escape relegation from the third tier of Scottish football as they currently sit bottom of the table, five points from Dumbarton in the play-offs and eight points from the safety of Alloa Athletic in eighth.

East Fife are currently managed by former Hearts assistant Stevie Crawford after Darren Young was relieved of his duties in November.

Watson, 18, spent the first half of the campaign at League Two side Stirling Albion. He previously had a loan deal at Bonnyrigg Rose, who Hearts originally signed him from as an 11-year-old.

Hearts' Leo Watson in action against Sunderland in a pre-season friendly at Tynecastle before the beginning of this season. Picture: SNS

The two-cap Scottish under-19 international made his Tynecastle bow in a friendly against English League One side Sunderland in pre-season, coming on as a second-half substitute and playing left wing-back for Robbie Neilson’s men.

Message from the editor

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by Coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our sports coverage with a digital sports subscription.