O'Carroll joins County on loan

Celtic striker Diarmuid O'Carroll has joined Scottish First Division side Ross County on loan until the end of the season.

O'Carroll (19), who hails from Killarney and is a product of the Celtic Youth Academy, is the seventh Celtic youngster to leave the club on loan this season and will join team-mate Michael Gardyne, who is already at the Highland club.

Tommy Burns, Celtic's head of youth and first-team coach, believes the move can only be beneficial for the teenager.

He told the the club's official website, www.celticfc.net: "Ross County are a club with good facilities and are very progressive for the level at which they operate.

"They have good people up there. Scott Leitch is the coach, while (director of football) George Adams was here before, so we have a good relationship with them.

"The loan deals are good from Celtic's point of view, because we can get good young players into that first-team environment and as I've said before, if they get in at that level and make an impact, then they will have a greater opportunity to come back here and succeed.

"It's a deal that will work well for both parties."

Burns believes that the timing is perfect for O'Carroll to make an impact in competitive football.

He said: "Diarmuid is ready for it. He's had a couple of seasons with the reserves now and is just champing at the bit to get out and show that he is a natural striker who can score goals.

"This gives him the platform to go and do that."