Striker Adam Brooks has swapped Celtic for Caley Thistle – and is relishing the chance to shine in the Championship.
The 19-year-old, who has played for Scotland at under-16, under-17 and under-19 level, banged in 13 goals for the Hoops B side in last season’s Lowland League, from just 19 appearances.
Instead of opting to stay at Celtic within the Lowland League, he wanted to test himself further up the ladder.
Other offers were on the table, but after speaking to Inverness head coach Billy Dodds, he feels the move north gives him the ideal platform from which to develop and show he can cut it in the second-tier.
The highly-rated forward has signed an initial two-year deal with an option for a further year in an eye-catching move which was announced on Saturday afternoon.
✍️ Inverness Caledonian Thistle is pleased to announce the signing of forward Adam Brooks on an initial 2-year deal with an option for a further year.
👉 https://t.co/G17fGhHsBr pic.twitter.com/coYD80Auqw
— Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC (@ICTFC) July 8, 2023
When asked why Caley Thistle seemed the right fit, he said: “Obviously speaking to Billy and saying this could be a pathway for a first-team opportunity, to just get away and play football and hopefully take my career to the next level.”
He watched his new team-mates ease to a 4-1 friendly win against League Two Elgin City, with Austin Samuels hitting two, after Aaron Doran’s opener, and Billy Mckay rounding off the goals.
Ambition of Inverness was attractive
Brooks is determined to test himself, and is thrilled to get the chance to do so at a club where the target is to win promotion back to the Premiership after seven years outside looking in.
He said: “I see this as a challenge. Having a challenge like this is good for me and I can’t wait to hopefully go on and excel.
“It was clear to see when I spoke to Billy the ambition this year is to get up and, after watching the game today, I have the belief that we can go up. Hopefully I will be part of that.
“The boys looked fantastic and scored a few goals.”
Brooks eager to ‘learn from the best’
And picking up tips from former Scotland, Rangers and Aberdeen striker Dodds is something Brooks is also relishing.
He said: “Billy was an unbelievable player and (I’m keen) to learn from the best. I can’t wait to see what he is like in training and what he can bring to my game.”
Deas proved ICT is worth the move
Another ex-Celt who made his mark at the Caledonian Stadium was defender Robbie Deas, who joined top-flight Kilmarnock last month after excelling in three successful years at ICT.
He said: “I have seen Deasy go to Kilmarnock and I’ve seen other boys make the jump as well. That was a pathway for them and hopefully I can do the same.”
Being clinical in the Lowland League, according to Brooks, has also helped him raise belief that he can make the step up with Inverness.
He added: “I enjoyed last year. I picked up some confidence and felt that it was the time to go and push on to another level and see if I could kick on from there.”
As well as his exploits in the Lowland League, Brooks also featured for Celtic in the UEFA Youth League last season, netting goals against Real Madrid and Shakhtar Donetsk, and scored a double in the Glasgow Cup final this year against Rangers, which Celtic won 4-3 on penalties.