ATHLETIC have announced their sixth summer signing with the arrival of former Kilmarnock midfielder Iain Wilson this afternoon.

The 21-year-old, who spent part of last season on loan at Queen of the South, has signed a two-year deal.

Born in Irvine, Wilson made his debut for Killie as a 17-year-old in a Premiership match with Aberdeen, and went on to play 51 times for the Rugby Park club.

For the second half of the 2018-19 campaign, he joined Queens on loan and twice came up against the Pars, scoring in a 2-1 win for the Doonhamers at Palmerston in April last year.

In January, he returned to Dumfries on a temporary deal and twice featured against his new employers before the season was cut short due to Coronavirus.

Wilson is the second player to arrive at East End from Kilmarnock this summer, following the capture of Dom Thomas last week, on a day in which Declan McManus and Kevin O'Hara also signed.

That quartet join Steven Whittaker and Paul Watson as head coach Stevie Crawford's other new faces so far, and he told the club website: "Iain is a player we see as one that we can help develop. He has made over 40 appearances for Kilmarnock over the years, so he has experience of being around a Premiership squad.

"The appealing thing is that he has spent the second half of the last two seasons on loan to Queen of the South due to him not being able to force his way into a Kilmarnock side. Credit to him there is no negativity in him where he feels like he has been hard done by.

“He took the opportunity to go out and play men’s football and his Championship experience ticks boxes for what we are going to face this year.

"When you look at Iain he has got a presence, he is a big lad (6’2”) but he has also got good mobility to get about the pitch. He gives a balance to the team where he can play at right back and he played at centre half against us. That is not where we see him playing. We see him as a centre midfield player, he can play as a sitter but he has good legs to get up and down as well.

"We think that we can help him become a goal threat. He has a good strike on him but the squad now has a lot of adaptability to it."