The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Robertson puts McCart on Caley Jags jump start
Championship: Inverness manager urges defender to make early impact
Caley Thistle manager John Robertson has challenged Jamie McCart to compete for a starting spot after rejoining the Highland capital club.
McCart spent the second half of 2016-17 on loan with Inverness and penned a two-year deal to sign permanently, after his Celtic contract expired, on Tuesday.
Caley Jags already have three centre-halves on their books but McCart is the only natural left-footer, with a place there to be earned in pre-season.
Robertson said: “Jamie was on our initial list as we didn’t have a natural leftsided centre-half.
“He’s a good young lad, very professional and has a good attitude.
“As soon as we knew he was available we made contact and had a chat.
“He liked his time here before and we didn’t have to sell the club or area to him.
“We told him he’d be the only left-sided centre-back but we have three other centre-backs here and he will have to fight for his place. In pre-season games as well as getting your fitness up, it’s also about showing form.
“He fitted in well to our wage bracket and when you come out of the Premiership, you have to look at a different criteria of player.
“We have to look for lads who maybe haven’t had it happen for them at other clubs, like Tom Walsh at Rangers who had to drop down to Dumbarton.”
Inverness were pitted against Falkirk on the opening day of the season when the fixtures were released yesterday, with the first Highland derby on September 22 at Dingwall.
Robertson does not think having both Highland clubs back in the same division will galvanise football in the region as he believes being out of the top flight for too long can leave you easily forgotten.
He said: “You want one if not both in the Premiership but having both back in the Championship now, it’s amazing you quickly you can be forgotten.
“There will be a few neutrals that will come along in the derby games but you don’t see the media rush to put Inverness against Ross County on television.
“That’s why towards the end of last season we were hopeful of getting back up.
“The second-best scenario was for Ross County to stay up and people would be galvanised by that, and then wonder how Inverness are doing.”
“He liked his time here before and we didn’t have to sell the club or the area to him”