Liam Henderson has signed for his fifth club in Italy after dropping down to Serie B to join Palermo on loan.

The ex-Celtic and Hibs star helped Empoli beat the drop from Serie A last season and made 26 appearances for the club and he started their Coppa Italia game and came on as a sub in their opening Serie A match of the season at the weekend against Verona.

But the 27-year-old has now decided to take up a new challenge in Sicily with fallen giants Palermo.

They went from being Serie A stalwarts to the shame of being relegated to Serie D four years ago after the club was declared bankrupt, but have fought their way back to the second tier of Italian football.

Henderson has joined on loan with Palermo having an option to buy. A club statement said: "Welcome to Palermo, Liam Henderson.

"The player will wear the No.53 shirt and joins on loan with an option to transfer."

He has had an eventful career since moving to Italy from Celtic five years ago after helping Hibs break their Scottish Cup hoodoo while on loan in 2016.

He moved to Bari and has since also played for Verona, Lecce and Empoli, where he was for the past two seasons.

But he's joined Eugenio Corini's side who are desperate to return to Italian football's top flight.

READ MORE: Neil Lennon made 'No.1 candidate' for vacant Hibs job

Meanwhile, Neil Lennon has been made the top candidate for the vacant Hibernian job, according to a report.

Just two days after Lee Johnson's sacking by the Easter Road club, the Hibs hierarchy has moved to identify their former manager as their ideal replacement.

The Scottish Sun states that Lennon, 52, has already been sounded out by Hibs over a possible return to the Edinburgh club.

The former Celtic manager has been approached by the Gordon family, owners of the capital club, to gauge his feelings over the possibility of taking on the role.

Lennon has been out of work for just under a year after he was sacked by Cypriot side Omonia Nicosia.