Hibs youngster Dean Cleland has joined Stranraer on loan until the end of the 2025/26 season.
The 18-year-old forward has joined up with the Blues, who currently sit fourth in the William Hill League Two table.
Cleland departs on loan after playing a large part in Hibs UEFA Youth League campaign – scoring against Dynamo Kyiv at Easter Road – following a brief loan spell at East Kilbride earlier in the season, where he made his senior debut in professional football.
Over the summer, he travelled to the Netherlands with David Gray’s First Team squad for pre-season training – starting against MSV Duisburg in Hibs first friendly match of the season.
The striker scored 38 times for Hibs Under-18s last season in competitive matches as Darren McGregor’s side secured the CAS Elite Youth League title.
The move will see him play and train with Stranraer, alongside continuing to train with the Hibs First Team and Academy at HTC during the week.
Hibernian FC Academy Director, Gareth Evans commented: “This is an excellent opportunity for Dean to continue his promising development by gaining more experience playing competitive football in the professional leagues.
“Dean has continued to impress within our Academy set-up, both domestically and in European competition, this season, and has been involved with First Team training. A spell in League Two will allow him to gain regular minutes and build on that progress.
“We will monitor his development closely during his time at Stranraer and wish him the best of luck during his time there.”
