NESBITT LOAN MOVE AS FLETCHER HEADS TO FRANCE, FOR NOW…

CQN Magazine

8 years ago

PARTICK THISTLE have landed top Celtic prospect Aidan Nesbitt on loan until the end of the season.

The 18-year-old playmaker is highly thought of at the champions and made his debut for the first team as a late substitute in the 2-0 League Cup win over Raith Rovers at Parkhead in September.

Nesbitt, who was an unused substitute at Hampden yesterday as Celtic went down 3-1 to Ross County, has been allowed to move across Glasgow to continue his development at Firhill for the remainder of the campaign.

The attacking midfielder netted a hat-trick against Rangers in last season’s SFA Youth Cup Final win. He is a regular in the Scotland Under-19 squad.

Meanwhile Scotland striker Steven Fletcher has left Sunderland and will see out the remaining 4 months of his contract with the Premier League strugglers out on loan at French side Olympique Marseille. The Scottish striker effectively brought down the curtain on his Sunderland career where he is out of contract at the end of the season.

Fletcher has been linked with Celtic and there is bound to be interest from many sources when he becomes a free agent in June.

West Ham are credited with an interest in Fletcher, but the player is reportedly keen to return to Scotland in the summer. He could make his debut on Tuesday as Marseilles play Montpellier. Fletcher scored 23 goals in 94 appearances for Sunderland who have had several changes in managers in the time the 28 year old former Hibs striker has been at the club.

The former Hibs frontman, who cost the Wearside outfit £12million when he moved from Wolves three-and-a-half years ago, and has been regularly overlooked by manager Sam Allardyce.

However, 28-year-old Fletcher – who trained with Sunderland this morning – had been expected to stay at the club until the summer, with the Hoops eyeing a Bosman move.

Marseille reached an agreement over the 28-year-old international’s wages for the remainder of the campaign, the Black Cats sanctioned the exit of a player who netted 23 goals in 94 Premier League appearances for them.

Fletcher said: “The team I played for back in England have a lot of French players, like Yann M’Vila, who have told me a lot about football in their homeland.

“I’m looking forward to playing.”