Friday 21st May, 2021 at 3:50pm
With the successful 2020/21 League One title winning campaign now at a close, Thistle’s loan players will return to their parent clubs.
Andy Geggan returns to BSC Glasgow with a 100% winning record for Thistle matches he featured in through a thrilling conclusion to the campaign.
Ross MacIver arrived on loan from Motherwell to add competition to the striking area of the side and the youngster featured eight times as Thistle went on a scoring spree through the second half of the season. Ross grabbed his first of two goals in Thistle colours with a game-clinching strike against Dumbarton, a result which saw Thistle ascend to the top of League One ahead of the post-split fixtures.
Kieran Wright completes his season long loan from Rangers having featured regularly between the sticks for Thistle through the season. Kieran’s impact on the team, particularly in the first half of the season, cannot be understated as he played a part in a club record streak of five consecutive games with a clean sheet.
Chris Erskine returned to Firhill for his fourth spell as a Jag looking to sign off life at Firhill by contributing to a promotion push and bagging a second title success in red and yellow. Heartbreakingly for the Thistle legend, a hamstring injury in March ended his season early. Chris underwent surgery on his injury and will continue to work closely with Jags physio, Jordan Cleland, to return to full fitness to continue his playing career into season 2021/22.
Scott Tiffoney had a monumental impact on the side when he joined from Livingston and returns to West Lothian as a League One title winner. With eight goals and four assists, the creative attacker became a popular player with the Jags faithful as well as emerging as a popular character within the dressing room.
Steven Bell will head back to East Kilbride having remained unbeaten in the ten Jags matches he played in, delivering crucial defensive performances for the side as Thistle embarkened on a five game clean sheet streak at a vital point in the season.
The thanks of everyone at Thistle is extended to Andy, Ross, Kieran, Chris, Scott and Steven for their contributions in red and yellow during a highly successful season in Maryhill.
Thistle manager, Ian McCall said:
“Each of our loan players contributed highly to our League One success and we thank them all for the service and commitment they gave to Thistle under very testing circumstances.
“While Andy Geggan never played as many games as he would have liked to, his infectious character was certainly felt around the dressing room. He is a player I’ve worked with for many years so I knew exactly what he would bring to the environment and that helped to forge the bond of togetherness that was so evident on the park.
“We added Ross to the squad to increase competition in the attacking zones of the pitch and his quality pushed those around him onto new levels. Ross popped up with a big moment in our season when his goal against Dumbarton helped make sure we went top of the league for the first time, just before the post-split fixtures began. His presence was vital in allowing us to keep the squad as fresh as possible during an incredibly busy fixture run.
“Kieran has been with us for the entire season and I think you can see the improvement in him as a goalkeeper after his time with us. The role he played in the first half of the season, when he was the only senior keeper we had for at least six weeks, was incredibly important. He was part of a defence that conceded only one goal in seven games which was one of the best records in Britain at that time.
“When we brought Chris Erskine back to Firhill we were all hoping it would be fairytale ending that he deserves as a Jags legend. Unfortunately, that was not to be with injury causing his Thistle career to end in an incredibly cruel fashion. We’ve done the right thing by Chris and our medical team remain available for him to use to continue his rehabilitation so that he can get back to full fitness as quickly as possible and get back to doing what he loves best, playing football, wherever next season takes him.
“Scott Tiffoney was a player we had hoped to get in January but then the shutdown happened. We were delighted when we were able to resurrect the deal in March and he was a season-changing player. With his pace and directness, he played a massive part in turning our fortunes in front of goal when we scored over 30 goals since his arrival at the club. He was part of some big moments for us and he looks great in red and yellow – that’s for sure!
“Steven Bell produced experienced, consistent defensive displays when we needed it the most. I’ve always known the quality he has and I think he demonstrated that throughout the closing stages of the season. I don’t think it is a coincidence that we didn’t concede for over 500 minutes when he came into the side at half time against East Fife. Steven is another player who looks good in red and yellow!”
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