Caley Thistle midfielder Ross Draper would love to be reunited with former team-mate Billy Mckay, and has urged the club to push through a return to the Highlands for the attacker.
Mckay left Caledonian Stadium to join English club Wigan Athletic for £150,000 in January 2015 after scoring 62 goals in 141 appearances.
The Northern Ireland international quickly fell out of favour at the DW Stadium and has spent the season on loan at Dundee United, whose relegation to the Championship was confirmed by Monday’s 2-1 defeat to city rivals Dundee.
Wigan won promotion to the English Championship at the first time of asking at the weekend, but 27-year-old Mckay could be released despite having two years of his contract remaining.
Draper expects interest in Mckay to be strong this summer, and has urged Inverness to make sure they are at the front of the queue for his signature.
The Englishman also hopes leading-scorer Miles Storey stays at the club when he loan from Swindon Town finishes at the end of the season.
Draper said: “I’d love to see Billy back here. I’d like to see him and Miles here.
“Billy went to Wigan and never really got a sniff.
“They signed Leon Clarke in the same week and straight away, Billy wasn’t getting a chance. But that’s football.
“It’s daft because of his scoring record.
“It wasn’t surprising to see him come back up here – we tried to sign him – it was just a case of where he was going to go. Billy has to do what’s best for his family, so that’s up to him.”
Inverness host Dundee United on Friday as they try to extend their unbeaten run to five games and Draper is intent on keeping Mckay quiet. He added: “Dundee United got a very good player.
“Sometimes when teams are at the bottom of the league, chances are limited.
“He was the focal point here and put away his chances. Maybe because he’s playing for a team that’s struggling, he’s not getting the service. When he played with us, we knew where to find him with crosses and pull-backs.
“He’s always willing and happy to score against his old club – he scored against us in September. Him and Eddie Ofere are players we’ve got to watch out for.”
Draper was speaking as Caley Thistle yesterday announced the club’s first training kit sponsorship deal with Inverness-based civil engineering firm Daviot Group.
The agreement will mean the company’s name and logo appears on players and coaches’ training kits next season.
