Academy Graduates seal deals

Ross County FC are delighted to announce that four Academy Graduates have now joined the club on full-time apprenticeships.

Andrew Macleod, Dylan Smith, Connall Ewan and George Robesten have all joined the club on a two-year apprenticeship that will see them train full-time during the next stage of their development.

Andrew Macleod is the latest player from the Western Isles to join Ross County FC, following in the footsteps of Matthew Wright and Adam MacKinnon. Joining the club at Under 14 level, Andrew is a central midfielder that will look to learn from the wealth of experience in the heart of Ross County’s midfield.

George Robesten becomes our first Academy Graduate from Shetland. His performances up-front in the youth team have been rewarded with this full-time apprenticeship contact, furthering his development working in Dingwall.

Connall and Dylan, both of Inverness also join The Staggies. Connall has been with our academy for 4 years returning impressive displays at Centre-Back now culminating in this contract. Dylan, who has just turned 16, is another player who has come through the Ross County Academy and has real potential to develop as a top young defender. Dylan’s impressive performances at Under 18 level for the last 18 months have seen him be rewarded with his first full-time contract

Manager Malky Mackay has said: “After a couple of challenging years for academy players during COVID, it is fantastic for us to be able to offer these opportunities to our young players who have exemplified real ability with a terrific attitude. We have had the four boys with us since day one of pre-season and their focus & work ethic is of great credit to their families.”

“Its important for a club like Ross County that we have a conveyor belt of young talent from the Highlands & Islands, as it follows the strong tradition of this football club in developing local talent into exciting young footballers. It is also important to recognise all of the coaches and volunteers who have given their time in developing Andrew, Dylan, Connall and George over the last few years and the importance of their role in each players development.”

Gordon Duff, Academy Manager, also said: “It is fantastic for all four of the boys who have worked extremely hard in their time with our academy. They are hungry and want to keep pushing themselves and this is a great platform for each of them to do so. These four boys follow in the footsteps of Ross Munro, Josh Reid, Matthew Wright, Adam MacKinnon and Ryan MacLeman who have all come through our academy in recent years. Personally, I would like to thank their families along with the coaches and volunteers that have worked with the boys to help their development.”

Left to right - Dylan Smith, Connall Ewan, Andrew MacLeod, George Robesten