Aberdeen defender James McGarry has joined Greek Super League side Athens Kallithea on loan for the rest of the season.

The 26-year-old was signed by former Dons boss Barry Robson from Central Coast Mariners after impressing with the Aussie outfit, but has struggled with injuries and limited appearances at Pittodrie.

He recently broke back into the team under Jimmy Thelin, but the return of Jack MacKenzie and the signing of Alexander Jensen have once again left the New Zealander on the sidelines.

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McGarry has made 26 appearances and scored once since joining the club, and will be back in the summer hoping to once again re-establish his place in the side.

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Thelin explained he wanted to let McGarry depart on loan, citing the full-back addition of Jensen and MacKenzie's return along with wanting the New Zealand international to get some valuable minutes on the pitch.

He told the club website: "With Jack [MacKenzie] returning from injury and Alexander [Jensen] joining us, opportunities for James will be limited and he is at an important stage of his career where he needs regular minutes on the pitch.

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"He’s going to a competitive league where there is a lot to play for so we’ll monitor his progress and believe this will be a really valuable loan for the player."