Carolina RailHawks defender Greg Shields has joined Scottish First Division club Partick Thistle on loan.

The 33-year old former Rangers, Dunfermline Athletic and Kilmarnock man has returned to Scotland for a three-month period to prepare for the first instalment of the newly formed North American soccer League which kicks off in April 2010.

Shields will land at Firhill Stadium on January 1 and said he was delighted to be joining Partick.

"Thistle are a big club with a big tradition and I am delighted to be given this opportunity," said Shields. "The league I am playing in America does not start until the first week in April so I felt it was important to get playing again.

"Ian McCall is someone I have been impressed with, he's a football man who is doing really well with Thistle. I know some of the boys and played alongside Simon Donnelly at Dunfermline and they've got a good squad of players there. It's another challenge and one I'm looking forward to."

McCall said: "Greg is top notch. He's here for three months, hopefully it could be a bit longer."