DUNFERMLINE have completed the re-signing of midfielder Scott Cusick on a one-year contract.

The 18-year-old, formerly of Celtic, initially joined the club on a short-term deal in January until the end of the season.

This afternoon, he has agreed to return for the coming campaign, with the option of another year, and will immediately join League Two Brechin City on a season-long loan.

Boss Stevie Crawford told Press Sport: "The big thing in that was, with it looking like there's going to be no reserve football next year, we felt it was right for the wee man to go out at a club that have expressed an interest in him.

"We can see already in pre-season that Paul Allan's benefitted from going out and playing first team football at Brechin. It's a good pathway; Mark Wilson's a good guy who we see will develop Scotty and get him playing men's football."

Born in Glasgow, Cusick signed for Celtic at the age of seven and spent 10 years within the Parkhead club's youth system.

Despite earning a Scotland under-16 call-up, however, he told the Pars' website in February that he was "at a standstill" with the Hoops.

"I came in here for a few days and was happy here," he said.

"I was learning a lot from Shieldsie (Greg Shields) and getting involved in training with the first team. Playing reserve games, I feel that I am learning a lot more here than I was at Celtic, which is what I am after.

"At the stage that I am at just now, I feel I need to be playing against men to really see where I`m at and start pushing myself."

The deal for Cusick is the Pars' eighth of the close season, following on from the arrivals of Paul Watson, Steven Whittaker, Declan McManus, Kevin O'Hara, Dom Thomas, Ian Wilson and Owain Fon Williams.