Young Sunderland striker Lee Connelly has joined Scottish Championship side Alloa Athletic on loan until the end of the season.
The 20-year-old Scottish youth international will go straight into Alloa's squad for their league game against Arbroath at Recreation Park tomorrow.
Connelly spent a month on loan at Northern Premier League South Shields at the beginning of the season, but since then he has been a regular for the Black Cats' U23 side.
And he has also played for the Wearsiders in the EFL Trophy, and as a substitute in the FA Cup replay at Gillingham in November.
Connelly - who has scored four goals in 10 games for the U23s this season - is one of a number of talented youngsters that the club was looking to send out on loan to gain first-team experience.
Manager Phil Parkinson has spoken about the possibility of teenage striker Benji Kimpioka being allowed to leave on loan this month.
He said: "I spoke to Kevin Ball [who oversees the club's loan players] last week about the possibility of Benji going out on loan.
"What I'd like to do is to have enough striker options where we could let him go on loan because I think he is at a stage where he needs to go in someone's first team and show that he has that consistent level to become a first-team player.
"We are making enquiries to other clubs about that, and letting them know about his possible availability."
