Finn Yeats earns new Falkirk contract as boss John McGlynn hails midfielder’s surprise comeback.

Falkirk boss John McGlynn says Finn Yeats has shown that he is Scottish Premiership quality after handing the midfielder a new contract on Friday before the trip to Celtic.

The former Aberdeen prospect, 21, looked likely to depart the Bairns permanently or on loan this month earlier in the campaign, having been “out of the equation” this term after also barely featuring during second-tier title success. But the hard-working midfielder was given a surprise chance to show what he could do in the top-flight against Motherwell last month, and Yeats impressed during that 0-0 draw. He then climbed off the bench away to Kilmarnock and played a key role in that victory, and the recents wins over St Mirren and Aberdeen. Yeats also netted a stunning goal in Paisley and played in the Bairns’ most recent match - a 4-1 rout of Hibs.

And McGlynn - who brought Yeats to the club as an 18-year-old back in 2022 after watching him play at a PFA exit trial - expressed his delight after handing the midfielder a new two-year deal to ensure he wasn’t able to leave Falkirk this summer on a free.

Yeats earned his new Falkirk contract

He said: “Finn’s adapted really well. Football can be strange at times because he didn’t really get a lot of opportunities in the Championship, but we had a game against Motherwell which we thought he’d do really well in, and he did. He then came on against Kilmarnock and did really, really well. His goal against St Mirren was incredible too. He’s impressed us so much and fair play to him because he was kind of out the equation, it shows how quickly football can turn. I’m delighted for him because he’s a great boy, he’s got a big heart and he works so hard. He’s 100 per cent committed to everything. He’s shown he can play at this level and I’m delighted that he’s extended his contract.”

Yeats, who has now racked up over 130 Falkirk appearances across the SPFL’s top three tiers, reflected on what has been a “mad couple of months”, having previously been out of the picture but now back in the fold as a first-team regular.

“I’m absolutely buzzing,” he said ahead of the Celtic Park trip. “It’s been a mad couple of months since my first Premiership game against Motherwell, but it’s been brilliant. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to get myself in. This new contract is amazing for me personally because it’s been a tough couple of years for me, but I think it’s deserved. It’s a real achievement for me. Every kid dreams of playing in the Premiership. No matter how you get there, everyone takes a different path, and it just goes to show that if you work hard and stick at it, it can work out for you.”