DUNFERMLINE boss James McPake has described Ben Summers as "an exciting young player" after the club completed a deal to sign him on loan.

On Thursday, Press Sport reported that the Pars were in advanced negotiations with Celtic to bring in the highly-rated 19-year-old, and a season-long arrangement was completed and announced on Friday evening.

Summers came off the bench to make his debut for the Pars during Saturday's match at Dundee United, in which Craig Wighton's header looked to have given them victory until Mathew Cudjoe equalised deep into stoppage time.

The Hamilton-born player, who has also extended his contract with the Glasgow club until 2026, joined Celtic at the age of seven and landed a role to play a young Tommy Burns in a documentary about the late Hoops legend.

Attacking midfielder Summers, whose latest contract extension with Celtic comes after he penned a deal last September to stay until 2025, was selected for their 'B' side at the beginning of the 2021/22 Lowland League season, whilst still a regular with their under-18s.

He made 22 appearances for the 'B' side last season, scoring five goals, and has represented Scotland at under-21 level.

In April, he made his first team debut for Celtic as a substitute in a match at Kilmarnock, and came off the bench once more in a win over Aberdeen on the final day of the Premiership season.

Summers trained with new Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers' first team squad in pre-season, and travelled with the club to Portugal and Japan in the summer.

After his signing was completed, McPake commented: "He’s an exciting young player that i’ve seen a lot of from Celtic B.

"Ben also spent time around the Celtic first team last season and made a couple of appearances, which is testament to how highly thought of he is. We’re delighted to get him in and start working with him ahead of Saturday’s match. I’d also like to thank Celtic and Darren O’Dea for helping with the loan agreement.

"He’s a very good player, technically excellent, but he’s also got a bit about him. Just to train every day with them in that environment is great. That doesn’t guarantee you anything when you go to first-team level, whether that’s Celtic or us. I saw an interview with Ange (Postecoglou, former Celtic manager) when he said that nobody gets a debut or anything under him unless it’s earned. He made a couple of appearances off the bench and was on the bench in other games.

"Celtic have got a very good B team, and they do well, but they’re desperate to get players out and playing proper football and into the first-team. When I had the conversation about Ben last year, Celtic were desperate to hold onto him because they believed he was going to break through – and that proved to be right.

"So, the year training with that first-team and being in that environment, as much as he hasn’t played much men’s football, will have developed him. Now, it’s up to him to come out and do well in a first-team environment.

"He’s got ambitions to go on and play for Celtic and Celtic have got high hopes for him to be a Celtic player. So, this is the first step in his career away from Celtic now to prove that he’s good enough to play first-team football and then kick on from there."

McPake continued: "He’s got lots to the game and that’s been developed over the years at Celtic. He played in the number 10 role, and then in the system they adopted under Ange Postecoglou he became an eight or a wide man.

"He likes to get goals, he likes to take shots on, and he has got very clever feet and a great footballing brain for someone so young. I can see why Celtic were so desperate to keep him and expose him to the first-team environment.

"I'm just glad we could get him out because he’s an exciting one for the football club and for me, he’s certainly one who will come in and add to our group."