The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Lichties win fight to land goalscorer
Arbroath have agreed a deal to sign Inverurie Locos’ top scorer Kieran Shanks for an undisclosed fee.
The 20-year-old netted 30 times in 40 appearances for the Highland League side last season.
A number of clubs were said to be keeping tabs on the former Aberdeen youth, who was under contract until 2023, but the Lichties got their man.
Shanks will now look to make the step up four divisions to the Championship.
Arbroath assistant Ian Campbell believes the youngster is more than capable of doing so.
“He’s a young guy who has spent most of his life at Aberdeen,” he said.
“He was released (from Aberdeen) then went to Inverurie where we’ve watched him.
“It’s a massive leap from where he was to the Championship but we think he can make that leap.
“Whether he does that right away or takes a while to fit in, we think he’ll be a cracking member of our team.
“He’s got a great attitude and we’ll bring him on, he’s one for the future.
“He is quick, he has a great attitude, he is a goalscorer and he will fit in with the atmosphere here.
“There were a few clubs after him. We’ve agreed a deal with Inverurie and they’ve handled themselves very professionally.”
Inverurie boss Richard Hastings added: “Naturally you never want to lose your top goalscorer but I think this is one of those situations where the move makes sense for all parties involved, and it’s simply what happens when quality players perform.
“It now gives Kieran an opportunity to fulfil the ambitions he has in the game.
“We knew it was just a matter of time before the player moved on to a higher level and the exciting thing is that this is just the start of it, as we have an
abundance of other young talent at the club too.
“We will miss Kieran but can only thank him for his service and we certainly wish him the very best in his career.”
Shanks becomes the Lichties’ third signing of the summer, following goalkeeper Cammy Gill and midfielder Keaghan Jacobs.
Meanwhile, Arbroath have confirmed the departure of forward duo Sam Ford and Michael Bakare with boss Dick Campbell working on new additions to his squad.
The English pair joined the Lichties during the winter transfer window on short-term deals.
However, they failed to make an impact and have returned to England to pursue their careers.
Ford, 24, a former West Ham youth player joined from Felixstowe and Walton United.
He made five appearances in the Championship and one in the Scottish Cup.
Bakare, 35, made just three appearances.
The Gayfield side also confirmed the departures of Craig Wighton, Chris Hamilton and Jack Hamilton to their parent clubs after their loan spells came to an end.
Chris had previously hinted at a possible return to Gayfield with his Hearts deal expiring, but he now looks certain to move on to pastures new.
In a statement on social media, the club put on record its appreciation for all players to have put on the maroon jersey last season.
It read: “It’s always a sad time of the year as we say goodbye to some players who have given their all for Arbroath FC but it is also an exciting
time as we welcome new players into the Arbroath family.
“We would like to thank all players who played for the club in what turned out to be a remarkable season.
“Harrison Clark, Joel Nouble and Anton Dowds all turned out for the Lichties before Christmas and were pivotal in our season.
“Thank you to all players and we wish those moving on all the very best of luck and we look forward to seeing our team back together at training very soon.
“We hope to have more signing news soon, as Dick Campbell works hard to bring in more players to the club.”
The Lichties have 17 squad players in place for the coming season with more signings expected in the coming weeks.