Defender Gary Warren believes team-mate Jake Mulraney will be an even bigger asset to Inverness when he stops trying to beat defenders two or three times over.
The 20-year-old former QPR midfielderer was again a crowd-pleaser on Saturday and was named man of the match against Arbroath.
The Highlanders have not had a player of such explosive pace since Jonny Hayes, now at Aberdeen, played for the club.
But club captain Warren is urging the youngster to work on utilising those talents to their fullest advantage, rather than tormenting markers over and over.
The Inverness players have been quick to nickname Dubliner Mulraney after the Loony Tunes character Road Runner, given his speed and Warren said: “Jake is tremendously quick – our Road Runner – but we can still get that bit more from him.
“He’s so direct and quick he sometimes gets into a position where he’s gone past someone but then tries to beat him again and again. It is just about trying to get it into his game that once he beats someone he needs to get his shot off or make the cross.
“He’s got everything in him to be a very big player here and, as the manager has said before, to be a real favourite. He just needs to make sure he’s consistent in what he does. That’s what we’ll be banging on about to Jake throughout the season – be consistent in performance.”
Warren is delighted with the way Mulraney and the rest of new manager Richie Foran’s summer signings have quickly settled in.
Scott Boden, snapped up from Newport County, claimed a hat-trick in the 7-0 demolition of Dick Campbell’s Arbroath, while on-loan Hearts midfielder Billy King was again superb, and also scored, on the opposite flank to Mulraney.
Warren added: “We’ve got some excellent additions. We’ve got pace in the wide areas and a clinical finisher in Scott Boden, but also Kevin McNaughton who has come in and steadied the ship.
“The signings have been very good. Not only are they good technically as footballers, they are good characters as well. That’s important when trying to achieve things.
“I’m a firm believer that sides who do well have always got a good dressing-room and good men who fit together and mix well.”
