KELTY HEARTS forward Tiwi Daramola has left the club to join Lowland League East Kilbride on a permanent deal.

The 22-year-old moves on a year after arriving at New Central Park, with player / manager Michael Tidser, telling Times Sport that he "needs to be playing games".

He is the second player to leave the club this week, after full-back Jamie Walker secured a switch to League of Ireland outfit Dundalk.

Last January, Daramola signed a three-and-a-half year deal with Kelty - who said they had to "fight off lots of competition" to land him - from Bo'ness Athletic.

However, he has now penned a permanent deal with East Kilbride, who sit nine points clear at the top of the Lowland League, with Kelty commenting: "Following the acceptance of an offer from East Kilbride FC , striker Tiwi Daramola has joined the Lowland League pacesetters.

"Everyone at the club would like to thank Tiwi for all his endeavours in the maroon jersey and wish him well on his move to K-Park."

After joining the club, Daramola returned to Bo'ness Athletic on loan for the remainder of last season, and scored an astonishing 83 goals in all competitions as they won the East of Scotland League, Division Three title.

In his first competitive game for Kelty, he scored his first goal, in a 3-1 loss to Greenock Morton in the group stage of the Viaplay Cup, after which Tidser backed him to be a "big player for us this season if he keeps up performances like that".

Daramola scored a brace in Kelty's next game - a 5-3 win at Edinburgh City, in which they recovered from a three-goal deficit - and in a 2-0 success against Stranraer, both of which were also in the Viaplay Cup.

He would, however, go on to find the net just once more - in a 4-1 league win at Edinburgh in October - taking his tally to five goals in 23 appearances.

His last match for the club was as a late substitute in a draw at Cove Rangers on January 6, having been left out of the squad for Saturday's draw with Annan Athletic.

"Tiwi, he's a lovely lad, came out of the traps flying at the start of the season, but he just couldn't quite get up to the level that I was looking for, in terms of where I want to take the club going forward," Tidser commented.

"I'm sure he'll have a good career and I wished him all the best. He needs to be playing games."

Daramola's departure comes after Walker, 22, left for Dundalk on a permanent deal ahead of the 2024 League of Ireland season.

Central Fife Times: Jamie Walker has left Kelty for Dundalk.Jamie Walker has left Kelty for Dundalk. (Image: David Wardle.)

The former Caledonian Braves player had been linked with a move earlier this month and was not included in Kelty's match day squad for Saturday's draw at home to Annan.

Post-match, Tidser confirmed to Times Sport that Walker was in the process of completing a move to Ireland, which has now been finalised.

"In terms of Jamie, when I spoke to him in the summer and took him from Caledonian Braves, I took a chance on him when other people probably wouldn't, and he's not let himself down," he said.

"It's an opportunity for him to go to a full-time club. He's learned - I don't mean I've taught him a lot - but he's played in games of football which he needed, at a good level. Being on that left side of the park and helping, he grew from strength-to-strength.

"Jamie's a loss to the club but, as I said to the lads at the start of the season, I'll never stand in anybody's way.

"I think, at his age, he thought it was a great opportunity for him, and as a club, we agreed. We parted ways; that's just football. I've been there myself as a player, so we just wish him all the best and we move on as a club."

Walker, who turns 23 next month, made 17 appearances for Kelty, with his last coming in a draw at Hamilton before Christmas.

Speaking to Dundalk's website, he said: "It's a great opportunity for me.

"The chance to come to a good league and play against, and with, good players was something I wanted to do and I feel I can really improve here under the gaffer.

"I know that there are some very good players in the League of Ireland so it’s a good challenge for me to go and prove myself in a new environment and I’m looking forward to it."

His new club's head coach, Stephen O'Donnell, added: "Jamie is a player we have been tracking.

"He has a cultured left foot, defends well, is a good athlete and he can handle the ball so he will suit our style of play.

"He hasn’t played for the last few weeks so he will be fresh and we feel he has a lot of scope to improve, both from a physical and from a playing point of view, and we are looking forward to working with him."