Wick Academy player-manager Gary Manson is pleased to have secured one of his key targets in Marc MacGregor.
The striker has penned a new two-year contract with the Scorries as Manson rebuilds ahead of the new season.
MacGregor netted 39 goals for the Caithness club in his first spell between 2015 and 2019.
The 28-year-old returned to Harmsworth Park in the second half of last season and scored four times in 10 appearances, before deciding to commit for the next couple of years.
Manson said: “You could say Marc’s a statement signing, because he’s a big player for us, and when he came back for a few games in the second half of last season he made a big difference for us.
“He was one of the priorities this summer to try to get him signed up.
“I’m pleased we’ve managed to do that.
“He’s a got a wee niggle which has kept him out of our friendlies so far.
“But hopefully he’ll be back and raring to go by the time the first game of the season comes round.
“Marc brings a lot. He’ll get his fair share of goals, but he’s also an out-and-out number nine who looks after the ball at the top end of the pitch and brings others into play.
“Looking at last season, there were periods where we didn’t really have that.
“To have Marc and potentially others who can do the same job will be important, we’re looking to score more goals this season and Marc will add to that.”
Fresh faces to come for Wick
Manson expects to complete most of his summer business next week as he tries to remould Wick’s squad after last season’s disappointing 16th-placed finish in the Breedon Highland League.
He added: “I maybe didn’t anticipate as big a rebuild as it’s going to be, because I didn’t anticipate the likes of Ross Allan deciding to stop.
“We’ll probably have eight or nine new guys in the squad and it will be refreshing to see that.
“One thing we haven’t had in the last couple of years is strength in depth.
“You want to see players sitting on the bench of equal ability and standing within the squad as the guys on the pitch.
“In recent seasons we haven’t quite had that, so hopefully by next weekend we should have everybody signed for the season going ahead.”
