'Scottish Messi' to play in Portuguese second tier

Once hailed as Scottish football's equivalent of Lionel Messi, Ryan Gauld has moved to Portuguese second division side Farense. 

 The 23-year-old has joined the club, based in Faro, on a two-year deal and a buyout clause of €4m has been included in his contract. 

The former Dundee United star reached an agreement with previous club Sporting Lisbon that allowed him to end his deal a year early, in order to secure regular first-team football.

Gauld knows Farense well having spent the early part of last season on loan there; the diminutive midfielder subsequently spending the second part of 2018/19 on a further loan with Hibernian in the Scottish Premiership. However, an injury early on during his spell at Easter Park effectively ended the loan stint early. 

Lauded as one of his country's most promising technical players during his time in Scotland, Gauld will hope to jump-start his career on the Portuguese south coast.