Ross County manager Jim McInytre is confident new signing Ian McShane is ready to make the step up to the Premiership.
McShane has joined the Staggies on a three-year contract from Championship side Queen of the South.
The 22-year-old is manager McIntyre’s second addition for next season, after he landed Dundee United forward Brian Graham on a pre-contract agreement earlier this month.
McIntyre worked with McShane when he was in charge at Palmerston before replacing Derek Adams as Staggies manager last September.
McShane made his debut for the Doonhamers as a 17-year-old in a 3-0 win against Falkirk in January 2011 and went on to make 96 appearances for Queens, scoring five goals, and started both legs of the Dumfries outfit’s 3-2 aggregate defeat against Rangers in the Championship promotion play-offs.
McIntyre is pleased to be reunited with McShane, and is confident the midfielder will have no problems in making his mark at a higher level.
McIntyre said: “I’m delighted to get Ian on board. He’s at a really good age, and has a couple of years of experience in the Championship.
“But I feel he’s now ready for the step up.
“He brings a great deal of football quality and experience which will blend very well into the team.
“He’s a good passer of the ball, with a very good range of passing, and he has great energy levels.
“I have no doubt he’ll be an asset to us.”
The process of reshaping the County squad for next season is well underway.
With 10 players now signed, the County manager remains in negotiations with Scott Boyd, Paul Quinn, Martin Woods, Michael Gardyne and Steven Ross over extended contracts.
However, the prospect of Australian midfielder Jackson Irvine returning to the club is doubtful, with the on-loan Celtic player offered a new contract by the Parkhead club.
McIntyre added: “Jackson is a Celtic player and they’ve offered him a new contract so it’s not right for me to talk about what we’d like to do with him.
“I would just like to thank Celtic for loaning us him in the first place.”