Glass joins Thistle while Freeman heads north

Dundee United midfielder Declan Glass has joined Partick Thistle on loan for the rest of the season.

The 20-year-old – who helped Cove Rangers win League Two in 2019/20 before returning to Tannadice to become a Championship title winner – was praised by Tangerines boss Micky Mellon for his desire to play regular first-team football.

He has made just one appearance for United since their return to the Premiership.

Mellon said: “I think it’s a great place for Declan to go and play. An opportunity has come along to go to a good football club with a good manager in Ian McCall where we can be confident that he’s going to reach the next level.

“He’ll go there with a clear set of objectives that he has to hit in order to become what we want him to become, which is a Dundee United player and a consistent player that holds down a position in the first team.

“He needs games because he’s not getting enough of what he needs in training. He needs to be able to do it Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday in a first team to take him to the next level.

“I expect him to do that because he is a talented boy.”

Meanwhile, United defender Kieran Freeman is set to join Peterhead on loan.

The 20-year-old has made three appearances for Mellon’s side this season, including a start in the win over Ross County.

But with fellow right-back Liam Smith close to a return from injury – and Luke Bolton and Lewis Neilson also able to provide cover – Freeman has opted for a temporary switch to Jim McInally’s League One outfit.

Ex-United star McInally is thrilled to have landed the former Southampton kid, who signed a new two-year deal with United this summer.

He said: “I have been chasing Kieran for a while and I am delighted that it has been agreed that he can come to Peterhead.”

Freeman started off as a youth player at Tannadice and was one of the top prospects of his age group in Scotland, representing his country at U16 and U17 level.

He spent time training with Manchester United but ended up signing for Saints, where he spent three seasons.

The defender was sidelined for a long time with a knee injury and his deal down south ran out in January, at which point United invited him back for a trial.

He impressed ex-Tangerines boss Robbie Neilson and was snapped up for the final few months of the 2019-20 season.