Hearts have confirmed the signing of striker Ellis Simms on loan from Everton.
The 21-year-old has signed up at Tynecastle until the end of the season - and IS available to take on Celtic.
Fans had speculated the frontman could be in the door quickly enough to hand him a spot in the squad to take on the title hopefuls on Wednesday night and Hearts have confirmed that is the case
It's a move that will delight boss Robbie Neilson and sporting director Joe Savage, who made finding a new striker their No.1 priority for the closing stages of the window.
The search was hastened by Armand Gnanduillet's departure to Le Mans but he's been replaced by Simms who notched 10 times for Blackpool in League One during a six-month spell last season.
He was rewarded with a new Toffees deal and has a solid record in Premier League 2 as well.
Neilson told the Hearts website: “I’m really happy to get a player of Ellis’ quality on board.
“We’ve made no secret of looking for a striker and in Ellis we’ve found what we’ve been looking for.
“He’s got a great pedigree and all the attributes to be a success up here, so I’m looking forward to working with him.”
And Savage added: “It’s always been about quality over quantity for us and we’ve got real quality in Ellis.
“He’s someone we’ve been tracking for a long time and although it looked like he may have gone to the English Championship we’ve managed to attract him up here, which speaks volumes about this club.
“Our thanks go to Everton for their assistance with the move and I am, like I’m sure our fans will be, really excited to watch Ellis play for Hearts.”
