Alex Neil has built a strong squad at Preston as he looks to have a team that can compete for a top-six place but there was no place for Josh Ginnelly in his plans this season.

The winger, who joined in January 2019 after impressing for Walsall, was loaned out to Scottish Championship side Hearts and he will hope to make a big impact north of the border.

At just 23-years-old, it's far too soon to say Ginnelly can't make himself a success at North End and there's no denying that a good spell at Tynecastle will have Neil and his staff taking notice.

So, they are sure to be delighted with the early success the wide man has had under Robbie Neilson.

Firstly, it should be said that Hearts have a ridiculous squad for the Scottish second division and they are expected to bounce back to the top-flight with ease.

However, it's one thing having a good team on paper and another delivering but the Jambos have produced in the early weeks and Ginnelly has played his part.

He has established himself as a regular in the XI and grabbed his first Hearts goal as they ran out convincing 6-2 winners against Dundee on the opening day of the season. Prior to that, he played in every game as the Edinburgh outfit advanced from their League Cup group.

Unfortunately, there was some bad news last week as Ginnelly was forced off after just eight minutes in the victory at Arbroath with a thigh complaint. As a result, he is a doubt for the huge Scottish Cup semi-final clash against rivals Hibs this weekend.

That's a huge setback for Hearts and the player but it can't take away from the positive start he has enjoyed since making the loan move.