Alex Lowry loan-spell cut short by Hearts as midfielder returns to Ibrox

Alex Lowry’s season long loan spell at Hearts has been cut short by the club.

The Rangers midfielder will now return to Ibrox in the hope of securing another loan spell elsewhere for the rest of the season.

Steven Naismith told the 20-year-old that his game time would be limited if he stayed at Tynecastle for the remainder of the season.

So they decided it would be best for both parties if he returned to Rangers and looked for a move to another club to further his development.

The Scotland under-21 international has made 18 appearances in all competitions for the Jambos and scored a late winner against Kilmarnock in the League Cup quarter-final.

Steven Naismith said of the decision: “We took the decision to end the loan with Alex’s best interests in mind.

“There is absolutely no doubting Alex’s talents as a player, and he’s shown in periods what he’s capable of doing on the pitch.

“But with the competition for places fierce in our squad, he’s probably not going to get the game time that would allow him to develop further, which is one of the reasons he was here in the first place.

“I’ve no doubt he’ll go on to become a top player. He’s a great boy, we thank him for all his efforts at Hearts and wish him well for the future.”