Daniel Mackay has sealed a season-long loan move back to his former club, Caley Thistle from Premiership side Hibernian.
The 21-year-old, who can attack on the wings or through the middle, has completed the move back to the Highlands just a few days after it seemed he was set for a temporary switch to ICT’s Championship rivals Raith Rovers.
Another second-tier club, Ayr United, and now League 1 side Dunfermline Athletic were also keen to land the youngster for their 2022/23 campaign, but he favoured a loan move back north.
News of the young gun’s potential homecoming went down well with Caley Jags fans as speculation grew on Thursday night.
The starlet, who came through the youth system at Inverness, enjoyed a decent start to his professional career, playing 57 times between 2017 and 2021, scoring 12 goals.
His career kicked off as a 16-year-old with Caley Thistle and he also set the record as their youngest-ever league goalscorer at 16 years and 171 days.
His sublime run and finish against Ross County in a 3-1 Scottish Cup win in Dingwall is still well remembered by Inverness fans.
Chances limited in Leith for Mackay
Last summer, Mackay’s consistent form prompted the-then Hibs manager Jack Ross to make his move and a four-year deal was agreed for an undisclosed fee.
Since then, Ross has been sacked and is now the Dundee United manager, and Shaun Maloney’s short spell in charge at Easter Road saw him replaced by Lee Johnson.
Mackay doesn’t appear to be in the new manager’s immediate plans and this loan move to Inverness looks like a sound move.
All in, the player has just played six times for the Hibees, but will now hope to make his next Caley Thistle appearance against Kelty Hearts in Saturday’s Premier Sports Cup opener.
Mackay was an opponent of Caley Thistle last season when he was on loan at Derek McInnes’ title-clinchers Kilmarnock and set up a Kyle Lafferty winner against the sides in January.
During his 2020/21 season at Caley Thistle, Mackay won the supporters’ and players’ young player of the year awards.
The wing ace is the second former Caley Jags player to have returned to the Caledonian Stadium, with striker George Oakley signing a two-year deal earlier this week.
ICT head coach Billy Dodds has also signed wingers Nathan Shaw and Steven Boyd, and defenders Max Ram and Zak Delaney.
Broadfoot joins Lowland League side
Former Caley Jags defender Kirk Broadfoot, meanwhile, has joined Simon Ferry’s Scottish Lowland League side Open Goal Broomhill FC.
The ex-Scotland, Rangers and Killie centre half, 37, was at Inverness last season, but announced he was moving on moments after the promotion play-off loss at St Johnstone in May.
Announcing the news on Twitter, the “ecstatic” club said: “The UEFA Cup finalist joins two weeks ahead of our first game v Spartans.”
Broomhill was taken over this year by the former Peterhead player Ferry, the host of the popular football podcast, Open Goal.
⚽️✍🏼 𝘽𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙙𝙛𝙤𝙤𝙩 ➡️ 𝘽𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙙𝙬𝙤𝙤𝙙@OGBroomhill_FC are ecstatic to announce the signing of former @RangersFC, @saintmirrenfc, @KilmarnockFC & @ICTFC Centre-Half, Kirk Broadfoot!
The UEFA Cup Finalist joins 2 weeks ahead of our 1st game vs Spartans!#WelcomeBroadfoot pic.twitter.com/Ko9dGtYgHt
— Open Goal (@opengoalsport) July 8, 2022
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