East Fife turn heads with addition of former Manchester United target

For some January 31 is a date pencilled into the calendar long before it comes around, while others see it as fabricated Sky Sports bluff which, like some of the players moving from an unknown club on the continent into the English Premier League, fails to live up to expectations.

The big clubs south of the Border shuffled their packs while in Scotland mainly modest loan deals were completed by our sides.

Amongst them, and perhaps one of the most interesting moves of the day up here, was that of Matthew Knox from Livingston to East Fife.

An 18-year-old moving from a Championship side to League One on a development deal is no headline maker in itself, but Knox is more than your average teen.

The striker, who made his debut for Livi as a 16-year-old, becoming their youngest ever player, is one of the most sought after talents in the UK.

And that’s not over-egging it, with English giants Liverpool and Manchester United already courting the teen and having him train with them.

Championship side Sunderland were ready to make their move for Knox as recently as last week.

But the next stage of his development will be at Bayview under Darren Young, where attendances will now be pushed up by a gang of scouts from all over these isles.

And Young’s work didn’t stop there, with another coming in and a couple departing on Wednesday.

Craig Thomson arrived before the recent Scottish Cup tie with Brora, and if he and Knox are straight replacements for the departed Greg Hurst and Nathan Flanagan, this surely reflects some quality business.

Both Thomson and Knox are forward players but Young also added at the back.

Left sided defender Adam Livingstone joined, also on a development loan, from Premiership side Motherwell.

The young left back, who has made two substitute appearances for the first team so far, will join the Fifers side until the end of the 2017/18 season.

“This is a good opportunity for Adam to go and get first team football,” Well manager Stephen Robinson said of the move.

“He is very much part of our long-term plans and playing in League One will help him develop.”

Third choice ‘keeper Thomas Cordery left East Fife, along with fellow goalie Mark Hurst who last week returned to St Johnstone.

In his place came Ben MacKenzie who’ll act as understudy to Ryan Goodfellow.

With more bodies added, Paul Willis, who has struggled for regular game time this season, left East Fife for Berwick Rangers late on Wednesday evening.