Strathspey Thistle manager Gordon Nicolson feels he is building for the future following the capture of former Elgin City defender Liam McDade.
Nicolson has made McDade his first signing of the summer, with the 18-year-old joining on a permanent deal after impressing on loan with the Jags last season.
McDade has joined on a two-year contract, with Nicolson insists he is keen to take a longer-term approach to his recruitment in order to help the Grantown outfit mould a formidable side.
Nicolson said: “If the one-year deal is what’s best for everyone, that’s what we’ll do.
“Where you can you want to try and get your squad in place for a couple of years, so you’ve got a bit of stability and continuity.
“You see it with some of the best teams in the league, it’s the same guys season after season.
“It breeds that consistency, and they add one or two. It’s the best way to go.
“In the past as a club, we’ve had to just go season to season, and you turn over a lot of players.
“It’s something we are trying to move away from and get that bit more stability and consistency in what we are doing.
“We will hopefully get other guys on deals like that.”
Left-back McDade was released by Elgin at the end of the season having been on the fringes of Gavin Price’s first team, mainly turning out for the Black and Whites’ under-20s side.
Nicolson hopes McDade can continue to develop after catching the eye during his temporary stint with Thistle last term, and he added: “I think there are circumstances a lot of clubs are finding themselves in, where they would normally offer young guys another contract but finances are dictating they move guys on.
“We have benefitted in being able to sign Liam, because I think he would probably have got another contract at Elgin had it not been for this situation.
“He’s at the very start of his career, but he has played with us, and has been at Clach on loan.
“He’s had a bit of experience in the Highland League and it’s up to him to come in, develop and work hard to try and kick on.”