Strathspey Thistle manager Gordon Nicolson hopes experienced pair Martin MacDonald and Kris Duncan can lead the Jags’ younger players by example.
Strathspey have landed former Rothes and Nairn County defender MacDonald on a one-year contract after he left Clachnacuddin earlier this summer.
Nicolson has also persuaded former Rothes and Forres Mechanics forward Kris Duncan to extend his stay at Seafield Park, having made a strong impression since arriving in January.
Nicolson feels both players will have a key role to play in nurturing some of the young talent at the Grantown club.
He said: “With Kris signing on and Martin coming in, it gives us a good level of experience to go with some of these younger guys we have brought in.
“The squad is quite young this year, and that’s something we wanted.
“We have brought in the likes of Ashley Ballam, Liam McDade and Kieran Chalmers.
“It’s an eye to the future, but young players need good experienced players around them.”
Along with helping to develop younger prospects around them, Nicolson feels MacDonald, who will turn 38 next month, and 30-year-old Duncan will have plenty to offer on the park themselves.
“Martin is a player we are well aware of – he has got great experience in the league. It was important we got someone like Martin in.
“Kris Duncan’s contract expired at the end of June. We’ve been speaking to him all summer just to see what he was planning.
“He is based around Keith, but we train in Inverness so he has got a bit of a jaunt to get to us, but we were able to sort something.
“He made a terrific impact when we took him in at the turn of the year, so it was one we were very keen to try and do.”