St Mirren boss praises loanee Cuthbert

ST MIRREN manager Gus MacPherson praised loan signing Scott Cuthbert after his debut against Kilmarnock but holds out little hope of taking the Celtic defender on a permanent basis.

Cuthbert, 21, signed a new two-year contract at Parkhead last week and was then loaned out to the Paisley club to gain first-team experience. The Scotland under-21 player showed his credentials on a couple of occasions against Kilmarnock, albeit during a disappointing goalless stalemate at Love Street.

MacPherson said: "We have watched Scott for a couple of years and we know what he is capable of. But Scott will want a future at Celtic. He will want to show Gordon Strachan what he is capable of doing."