Inverness Caley Thistle midfielder Adam Mackinnon looking forward to taking on new challenge as Stornoway native prepares for first trip to Forfar
Adam Mackinnon is looking forward to taking on a new challenge when Inverness Caledonian Thistle travel to Forfar Athletic in the KDM Evolution Trophy this weekend.
It will be the first time the two clubs have faced off since July 2017 – a 2-1 win for Inverness in the League Cup – which in itself is the only meeting between the sides in the last 24 years.
For individuals like Mackinnon, it will be a first time travelling to Station Park, and a new experience to tick off the list.
The 22-year-old midfielder says there is something exciting about travelling to new grounds, and he believes it can only be a positive for his development to go to all corners of Scottish football.
“This will be the first time playing there for me,” Mackinnon explained.
“We’re just going in to try and win every game, but there’s no doubt they will make it hard for us.
“I haven’t played there before so I don’t know what their pitch is like. I know it’s another Astroturf, so I’m sure it will be a tough game.
“There are times when you look and realise you only haven’t played one or two teams in a league, and we do talk about it sometimes.
“It’s something to look forward to when you play a new club. I hope it’s a decent pitch, but it’s cool to experience different places and stadiums, and you then see a difference between some League Two clubs and some Premiership clubs.
“In Scotland, you can go to grounds that are quite hard to play in, so it’s cool to see the differences and learn from that.”
As a collective, victory in Forfar would guarantee Inverness a seeded spot in the knockout rounds of this season’s Challenge Cup.
On a personal level, though, the competition has provided the vast majority of Mackinnon’s minutes so far this season, with the Stornoway native having missed pre-season due to injury.
After playing 37 times in all competitions last season, Mackinnon is yet to register a start in League One in 2025/26, so he has been targeting the KDM Evolution Trophy to try and stake his claim for a starting spot amid far fiercer competition in the middle of the park this year compared to last.
“Last season was a bit weird, because obviously we didn’t have a big squad and I was playing every week,” he reflected.
“In a way, I think it’s better now. We have more competition, but it does mean that when you get a chance you need to take it and make sure you stay there when you get in.
“Obviously I was out for a wee while and missed pre-season, so I think these cup games have been needed to get that match sharpness.
“You can do all the training and running you want, but nothing replicates games. I got 90 minutes in the last cup game, and I’ve been coming on more in the league, so I’m just happy to be back playing.
“There’s a lot of centre midfielders at the club now, but I think everyone offers something different, and that’s useful for the gaffer.
“David Wotherspoon and Joe Chalmers are very experienced, so I’m trying to learn from them and show what I’ve got when I get the chance.”