Former Dundee United defender Kerr Smith is heading to St Johnstone on loan.
And if the deal gets concluded as expected, he could even be in the Saints squad for Tuesday’s clash with Dundee at Dens Park.
Aston Villa have agreed to let the 19-year-old spend the second half of the season in Perth.
He has impressed with the English Premier League club since he was bought by Steven Gerrard in 2022 and sources in Birmingham suggest that he will be offered a new long-term deal.
Smith is set to be Craig Levein’s first signing as Saints boss.
Smith can play as a centre-back or right-back.
Get in! 🏴
Kerr Smith prods home for Aston Villa u21s tonight against Brighton in the Premier League Cuppic.twitter.com/1t4MYQoCQx
— The Young Team 🏴 (@The_Young_Team) September 15, 2023
As well as academy football, Smith has featured in the Football League Trophy for Villa last season and this.
He got five Scottish Premiership performances under his belt before his big move to England, one of them against Saints.
The Scotland under-19 interenational made history by becoming the youngest player to appear in the Dundee derby fixture at just 16 years, nine months and seven days old.
The following week, Smith played 90 minutes in the middle of the Tangerines’ back four in a 1-1 draw at Celtic Park.
His arrival at McDiarmid will follow Luke Robinson’s return to Wigan after Shaun Maloney decided to cut short the left-back’s loan.
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