Southampton have lost top scout William Lancefield to Hearts.

After spending time in analyst roles for Brighton and Tottenham, the 28-year-old became a technical scout for Norwich in July 2015 and spent 16 months at Carrow Road before moving to Southampton.

During his near five-year tenure with the Saints he worked as a recruitment analyst before becoming the club's regional lead scout for the south of the UK.

Hearts' sporting director Joe Savage told the club's official website: “This is a crucial role at the club and I'm really happy that we've got William on board.

“He's someone I know well and as such I'm well aware of his talents and the skills he will bring to this club. Although this was an appointment that we took a bit of time over because we wanted to get it right, as soon as I knew John Murray was departing I made William my number one target.

“I'm certain that in William we've got someone who will make a positive impact in the way that we recruit players that can take us forward on the pitch."