Ross County manager Malky Mackay is not ruling out the possibility of sending Matthew Wright and Adam Mackinnon back out on loan for the remainder of the season.
Forward Wright and midfielder Mackinnon have both been recalled by the Staggies, after spending the first half of the campaign on loan at League One side Montrose.
Both players made a major impact with the Gable Endies, who are fifth in the table and on the coat-tails of the promotion play-off places.
Mackay has been thrilled with the development of the Lewis-born pair, but is keen to assess them in January before deciding on their next steps.
He said: “We will evaluate that in January and evaluate the squad to see whether Adam and Matty stay with us or whether they go back out.
YOUNG STAGGIES HEAD BACK TO THE HIGHLANDS
Both Adam Mackinnon and Matty Wright have been recalled early from their respective loans by parent club Ross County and will return to Dingwall with immediate effect. pic.twitter.com/25LnSV1Fgt
— Montrose FC (@MontroseFC) December 27, 2022
“You can see the difference of now playing against men in a tough league. I am thankful to Stewart Petrie to how those boys were treated and were pressed upon the club and made a difference.
“That is what we all hoped for, could they go there and make a difference? We weren’t sure whether it was a league too high after they were in the Highland League.
“They have gone into a good group and a good team that have done reasonably well in the division.
“At the time, I sent them there instead of League Two because I thought Stewart had a good group and there was a chance that they could do OK.
“These are longer term views that we take on those lads.”
Lewis-born pair have risen to step up
Both Wright and Mackinnon had stepped up to Scotland’s third-tier, having previously spent time on loan with Highland League side Brora Rangers.
Mackay says he is constantly monitoring County’s young players to determine the correct level for them to be loaned out to.
He added: “It is great we have the Highland League up here, I have been among the whole thing for 18 months.
“We can pitch some of them into there and find out how they get on.
“If it works we can decide to move them to somewhere such as Elgin in League Two for example.
“We have thrown players like Adam and Matty into a league where they are playing the likes of Falkirk and Dunfermline, and they have done great.”
County have four players out on loan in the Highland League at present, with Mackay also keen to assess how they are placed in their development.
He added: “Even the younger ones in the Highland League, we are looking at all of them in terms what is the next step for them.
“Logan Ross has done well at Lossiemouth for 18 months. We are looking at that and thinking it might be time for that to change. We have spoken to Lossiemouth about that.
“Andrew Macleod has made a big stride training with the first team for the last six months and he has done well at Clachnacuddin. We are going to look at his situation in the second half of the season.
“At Forres Mechanics, Connall Ewan and Ryan MacLeman have been integral to everything that is happening with them.
“We can see massive strides in short space of time from kids playing against men.
“It’s the difference between someone that bundles along as an under-19s player and trains against somebody who has to play against men over a period of time. They have improved quickly.”
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