Honest Men deal in former Inverness winger

Tom Walsh has signed a one-year deal with Ayr United after leaving Caley Thistle.

Former Rangers winger Walsh turned down the offer of a new deal with the Caley Jags and has joined their Championship rivals at Somerset Park.

Walsh scored 13 goals in 68 games for Inverness after joining on a pre-contract from Dumbarton. He featured in the 2019 Scottish Cup semi-final against Hearts but had an injury-hit 2019-20 season.

He becomes the latest player to pen a deal elsewhere after leaving Caley Thistle, following Shaun Rooney (St Johnstone), Jordan White (Motherwell), Charlie Trafford (Hamilton Accies) and Carl Tremarco (Ross County).

To date the Caley Jags have added Shane Sutherland and Robbie Deas to their side for the next season, with manager John Robertson on the lookout for more.

Strathspey Thistle have signed former Elgin City youngster Ashley Ballam.

The centre-back spent last season on loan at fellow Highland League side Huntly and has also been at Rothes on a temporary deal from the Borough Briggs outfit.

Ballam was on the bench eight times for Elgin last season after coming through the club’s youth system but made only one substitute for Gavin Price’s side – as a late replacement in the 4-3 Challenge Cup win over Hibernian colts.

He was let go by Elgin this summer and Jags boss Nicolson was pleased to get the 19-year-old signed up.

He said: “I’m really pleased to capture the signing of Ashley. He’s a player I’m very familiar with and a player we had previously on loan a few seasons ago.

“He comes back to us having gained a lot of game time in the Highland League.”