Greg Tansey’s loan move to Ross County marks a quicker return to the Highlands than he would have envisaged but he will hope it can provide a boost for both him and the Staggies.
Former Caley Thistle midfielder Tansey has made the switch to Dingwall just six months into the three-year contract he signed with Aberdeen when he left Inverness following their relegation to the Championship at the end of last season.
A mainstay of the Caley Jags side for several years, having previously attracted the advances of Dons boss Derek McInnes in January 2016, hopes were high that Englishman Tansey could hit the ground running at Pittodrie.
But it has been a stop-start campaign for Tansey as he found himself in and out of McInnes’ side, with a groin injury limiting him to just 10 starts.
Although County sit bottom of the table, Tansey will relish the opportunity to get his form going again in familiar surroundings and, crucially, rekindle his central midfield partnership with Ross Draper.
Tansey and Draper developed a solid understanding throughout their time at Inverness, both playing a key part in the club’s run to Scottish Cup glory in 2015, and the prospect of them teaming up again will excite the pair as well as the Staggies faithful.
Indeed, Tansey’s spell in the north-east thus far could have been more fruitful had he been paired with a combative midfielder of Draper’s ilk. After all, his pre-contract agreement with Aberdeen in March came long before the Dons lost Ryan Jack to Rangers. Tansey was not intended as a like-for-like replacement.
With Kenny McLean also moving on from Pittodrie this summer, if not before, McInnes is sure to be in the market for another central midfielder.
Time will tell where Tansey’s long-term future lies but if he can rediscover his best form and help Owen Coyle’s Staggies to avoid relegation, don’t rule out his Dingwall stay becoming a permanent one.