PARS striker Andy Ryan has joined Airdrieonians on loan until the end of the season.

Both clubs announced the deal this afternoon, just two days after Dunfermline head coach Stevie Crawford told the media that the player had not been seeking a move away from East End Park.

On Twitter, Dunfermline Athletic posted: "#DAFC can confirm that Andy Ryan has joined @AirdrieoniansFC on loan until the end of the season. Everyone wishes Andy all the best for the rest of the season."

And, speaking to Airdrieonians' club website, Ryan said: "It’s great to be back! As soon as I heard of the interest I just wanted to get myself back here.

“When I was here before there was a disappointing end to the play-offs, but the boys have done great to get themselves into a strong position at the midway point.

“Now we’ll just take each game as it comes and hopefully we can push for the title."

Reports in the national media early this week suggested a loan move was on the cards for Ryan to return to his former club.

Press Sport asked Crawford on Tuesday whether there was any truth to the reports.

In response, he said: “Andy Ryan wasn’t on the bench at the weekend and like any other player at this club, there was decisions to be made and reasons for that. 

“As long as somebody is here and they’re fit, they’re available for selection. 

“Andy Ryan trained with us this morning (Tuesday) and somebody had mentioned that he’d been linked to another club. As far as I’m aware, Andy Ryan is a Dunfermline player and that’s how it stands at the moment.

“Somebody had made me aware that there was speculation about Andy Ryan. 

“My door is always open and until somebody chaps the door and says that they don’t want to be at the club, or I make a decision that I don’t think the player has a future at the club, then that’s when we’ll deal with these matters. 

“He’s not chapped the door."

Crawford also dismissed any suggestions that he had chosen Gabby McGill directly over Ryan in the past two matchday squads.

“It wasn’t a case of putting Gabby McGill on the bench ahead of Andy Ryan,” he said.

“That’s not the way I work.

“There’s all sorts of reasons as a manager. You’ve got to put out boys that are committed to the cause and want to win games of football. Sometimes it’s not necessarily just the ability that you see on the park. You get different issues as a manager that you need to deal with and different ways to problem-solve. Any player has a future here until we say otherwise."