Ross County manager Jim McIntyre reckons allowing long-serving defender Scott Boyd to join Kilmarnock on loan for the season was the ideal scenario for all parties involved.
Boyd made the move to Rugby Park on transfer deadline day last month after finding opportunities limited at Victoria Park, with only five appearances for County since the turn of the year and none this season.
The 30-year-old holds the club record for the most appearances with 306 outings for the Staggies, and is in his testimonial season having joined from Partick Thistle in 2007, with an opponent still to be lined up.
McIntyre could not guarantee first-team football for Boyd, who is in the final year of his Staggies contract, and he feels allowing the former Livingston player to join Killie on loan gives him a better chance of playing first-team football while allowing him to press on with celebrations to mark his decade at the Dingwall club.
McIntyre said: “It was a really difficult decision with Scott because he’s a club legend and the record appearance holder. But I was honest with Scott at the start of last season and said he wouldn’t play in front of who we had.
“He’s still a young guy and it’s a good move for him to go and play games. He’s too young to be sitting here.
“He was looked after. He was given a two-year contract by me, so he could get his testimonial. From that side of things the club have looked after Scott.
“Now he’s got the chance to put some games under his belt.
“It’s the right decision, because I feel we’ve got players here who are going to play in front of him. That’s the reason we’ve loaned him out.
“He wanted to play football. We’ve got to give him credit for that.”
McIntyre also allowed fellow defender Chris Robertson to leave on a free transfer on deadline day but despite the two departures McIntyre is not looking to strengthen his backline.
He added: “We’ve got great cover there. We added the two full backs in the summer, Erik and Kenny, and Kenny can play centre back as well.
“Jay McEveley has played left of a back three as well, so looking at the flexibility we’ve got in our backline, we’re well and truly covered.
“That’s the reason we felt we could let players go.”