Aidan Fitzpatrick is hoping Queen of the South will prove a perfect place to continue learning while on loan from Norwich City, as he will be playing for former Scotland winger Allan Johnston.

The 19-year-old was a regular for City’s under-23s last season after joining from Partick Thistle, where he had made 32 senior appearances, but has returned to the Scottish Championship for the 2020-21 season.

Asked why he had chosen the Dumfries club, Fitzpatrick said former Hearts, Rennes and Sunderland winger Johnston was a major pull for him.

“It was the words from the gaffer when he was talking to me,” said the Canaries prospect. “There was a real interest from Christmas so from then and now what he has been telling me about the club and how they play and how he was as a player, stuff like that. He played in the same position as me so I think it will help me a lot to develop as a player.

“I’m still young and still learning but that is football, you need to learn all the time, no matter what age you are.”

Fitzpatrick scored once in 14 games for City’s U23s prior to the Premier League Two season being abandoned in March due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“It is a good chance for me to get back playing regular first team football again, so hopefully it will all work out,” he added, speaking to Queen of the South’s website.

“I just want to be playing regular and I’m hoping that’s the chance that I will be given. It is a different level in England but you just want to be playing football no matter where it is.

“The move to Norwich has been good and I feel a lot better as a player, I’m much better technically but it’s not the same not being able to play first team football so hopefully this is the chance to do that.”

Queens are not in league action until October 17 but have three League Cup ties first, starting at Greenock Morton on Tuesday, October 6.

Fitzpatrick concluded: “Having been at Norwich we have been back in pre-season training for a month but we’ve only had one game so it just feels weird not playing for so long. So that is what I am looking forward to, just getting back playing games.”