With our league campaign complete, young loanee Owen Stirton has returned to his parent club, Dundee Utd.

Arriving at Links Park in late January, the 18-year-old made an instant impact, slotting straight into the vacant No.9 position following the sudden departure of Kane Hester. Scoring his first goal in his first start away at Annan Athletic in a 2-2 draw, Stirton would add another 8 in just 15 appearances, collecting the William Hill League 1 Player of the Month for February along the way.

Petrie said, “Owen proved to be very important to us, not just in terms of his goals, but also his assists and general hold-up play. To come into any team in January as a loanee and return 9 goals at this level is very impressive and speaks volumes for his potential.

“Like I said with Callum Sandilands, Owen too was a credit to his club, his family, and himself, and having already tasted life with the Scotland U19’s, the future looks very bright for the talented young man.

“Again, we would like to thank everyone at Dundee Utd for allowing the loan to happen, and we wish Owen all the best for the future.”

Owen added, “It’s been a really good loan experience for me and has helped me develop as a player. I enjoyed my time here at Links Park, thanks to all the players for welcoming me in and to the Manager for giving me the opportunity.”