Caley Thistle manager John Robertson believes the blossoming partnership between strikers Nathan Austin and George Oakley can fire them to success in the Championship next season.
Austin joined the Highlanders from fellow Championship side Falkirk in January and despite initially struggling with a hamstring injury, he finished the campaign in excellent form with six goals in his final six games.
English forward Oakley ended the season as Inverness’s top goal- scorer with 12 goals, having also taken time to establish him-self in Robertson’s team following his move from AFC Wimbledon last summer.
Although Robertson appears keen to add another attacker after being linked with a move for Ayr United’s Lawrence Shankland, the Caley Jags boss feels Austin and Oakley will have an important role to play next term.
Robertson said: “A lot of people are saying we need another striker and we might still need one.
“But we brought one in back in January and we know if we can get Nathan fit he will score goals for us.
“Big George came up from Wimbledon at the start of last season. He’s certainly a big, raw lad and a handful but it took him a while to get in as John Baird offered work-rate and goals in the 4-3-3 system we were playing.
“Towards the end of the season we flicked our system a bit and went 4-4-2, and George and Nathan have come in and scored goals. Our midfielders and everybody else has contributed which certainly gives us hope for next season.”
Robertson has been busy with his summer recruitment this week, tying up Aaron Doran and Daniel MacKay on two and three-year contracts respectively. Stephen Foster, Liam Macdonald, Alasdair Stark, Andrew Macrae, Mitch Foy and Keir Smith have all been released.
Discussions are ongoing with Connor Bell, while Iain Vigurs and Ryan Esson are out of contract. Daniel Hoban and Ryan Mc- Ritchie, who spent last season on loan in the Highland League, will be kept on. Shaun Rooney has signed a pre-contract agreement from Queen of the South while Hearts midfielder Angus Beith is expected to join in a swap deal with winger Jake Mulraney heading in the opposition direction.