Lewis Neilson leaves Hearts on loan after agreeing a new contract

The young defender is making a move to McDiarimid Park

St Johnstone have completed the loan signing of Hearts defender Lewis Neilson. A deal was agreed for the 21-year-old to spend this season at McDiarmid Park under the former Tynecastle coaches Craig Levein and Andy Kirk.

A number of Scottish clubs were competing for Neilson’s signature, but the Edinburgh News revealed last week that St Johnstone had made their move. The chance to play in the Premiership this term is a major factor in the player agreeing to the switch to Perth. He spent last year on loan in the Championship with Partick Thistle, making 43 appearances as they reached the promotion play-offs.

Neilson was often used as a holding midfielder at Firhill and St Johnstone could also utilise him in that role after losing Dan Phillips to Stevenage on freedom of contract last month. Defenders Ryan McGowan and Liam Gordon also left the club to join Livingston and Motherwell respectively.

Neilson is a versatile player who can also operate in central defence or at right-back as well as midfield. His Hearts game time was always likely to be limited this year with Frankie Kent, Daniel Oyegoke, Gerald Taylor, Craig Halkett, Kye Rowles and Stephen Kingsley all ahead of him in the queue for defensive places.

The move to St Johnstone is designed to test him against the best players in the top flight on a weekly basis. Hearts will then hope to integrate him into their first-team squad permanently and have given him a 12-month contract extension, tying him to the club until summer 2026.

The defender explained why he took the opportunity to join Saints in an interview on their website: “After speaking to Hearts my next step was just to play as many games as I can, and playing in the Scottish Premiership is huge,” he said.

“When St Johnstone wanted to take me, it was a no brainer. It seems like a great group of boys so I am excited to get started. I have never worked under the manager but I have heard a lot of good things, I think the style of play is really going to help my game.

“I am sure this loan spell will help me and I hope I can help the club, too. I am delighted to be in and get a full week of training before our league opener against Aberdeen. It is an exciting opening game.”

Hearts head coach Steven Naismith told his club’s official website: “Lewis really benefitted from his loan spell in the Championship last season and now he has the chance to take even bigger strides by playing consistently in the Premiership.

“Our defence is full of players with international experience and, while Lewis would undoubtedly continue to learn from being around them, he’ll gain more by getting minutes on the pitch at a good level. By extending his contract there is that extra motivation to do well this season and come back and challenge for a first-team place at Hearts the following year.”

St Johnstone signed striker Makenzie Kirk - son of Andy - from Hearts earlier this month. They also have former Tynecastle players Connor Smith and Uche Ikpeazu in their squad.