Which former Inverness Caledonian Thistle stars are now playing in Highland League?
These players were once upon a time an important part of the first team squad at Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
Now some of the club’s previously established stars are playing at grounds across the Highland League.
We take a look at where some of Caley Thistle’s most prominent former players in recent years are now plying their trade across the north.
Brechin City
Kevin McHattie
McHattie joined Inverness Caledonian Thistle in January 2019 and made his debut at the end of a 2–1 home loss to Queen of the South.
He only played 22 times for the club during his two years at Inverness.
He left the club in June 2021 and then signed for Brechin City and has spent the last three years at Glebe Park.
Anthony McDonald
The highly touted midfielder spent two different periods at Inverness Caledonian Thistle. After coming through the youth system at Hearts, he went on loan to Inverness in January 2019 and scored his first professional goal against Greenock Morton.
He then moved on loan to Dunfermline Athletic with fellow Hearts youngster, Harry Cochrane, on August 2019. He left Hearts to sign for Spanish club Cordoba in 2020.
But he returned to Inverness in 2021 on a loan deal until the end of the season. He then signed a six-month contract until leaving in January 2022 and joined Edinburgh City. He then went on to sign for Brechin City in August 2022.
Brad Mckay
After coming through the youth system at Hearts and then going on to play for St Johnstone, Mckay signed for Inverness in 2016 while they were still in the Premiership.
He spent five years at the club and played 124 times for Inverness scoring seven times.
He left Inverness in 2021 signing for Falkirk who were in League One.
He spent three seasons at Falkirk before going on to sign for Brechin City in 2024.
Cillian Sheridan
The Irish forward spent a brief period at Inverness Caledonian Thistle last season between October and January where he played nine games for the club.
Sheridan arrived at Inverness after being released at Dundee at the end of the 2022/23 season.
Before arriving at Inverness, Sheridan played across the world at clubs such as CSKA Sofia in Bulgaria, APOEL and Omonia in Cyprus, Jagiellonia Bialystok and Wisla Plock in Poland, Wellington Phoenix in New Zealand and Irona Kiryat Shimona in Israel.
After leaving Inverness, he signed for Championship outfit Queen’s Park in February before leaving at the end of last season. He signed for Brechin City earlier this month.
Banks O’Dee
Daniel Hoban
The goalkeeper came through the Inverness Caledonian Thistle youth system and spent much of his time on loan.
He played on loan at a number of Highland League clubs including Strathspey Thistle, Brora Rangers, Nairn County and Fort William.
He then went on loan to SPFL clubs Forfar Athletic and Elgin City before leaving Inverness at the end of the 2019/20 season.
He went on to sign for Forfar Athletic in League One on a one-year contract and then joined Elgin City in May 2021.
He spent two seasons at Borough Briggs before signing for Banks O’Dee this season.
Iain Vigurs
The former Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Ross County player signed for the Aberdeen club at the start of this season.
Vigurs played for Inverness Caledonian Thistle in two different periods, firstly joining from Elgin City in 2006 before leaving to join Ross County in 2009.
He spent four seasons in Dingwall before signing for Motherwell in 2013. After two years at Fir Park, he had a brief period at Highland League club Inverurie Locos before returning to Inverness in 2015.
Three years later, Vigurs returned to Ross County spending another three years before signing for Cove Rangers in 2021.
Brora Rangers
Wallace Duffy
Duffy only joined Brora Rangers earlier this month after being released by Strathspey Thistle last week and following being made redundant by Inverness Caledonian Thistle in October.
The 25-year-old, who was one four players made redundant at Inverness after the League One outfit fell into administration, signed a three-year deal with the Grantown on Spey club two months ago.
But after playing only two matches for Strathspey Thistle, he was released last week and was officially unveiled as Brora Rangers’ latest signing on Sunday.
Duffy spent two periods at Inverness Caledonian Thistle, originally signing in 2020 from St Johnstone and spent four seasons at the club before leaving at the end of last season, but returned in August.
He played in the Scottish Cup final against Celtic in June last year when he was arguably Caley Thistle’s best player in the 3-1 defeat.
Cammy Mackay
Cameron Mackay signed for Brora Rangers after leaving Inverness Caledonian Thistle after a two-decade association with the club.
He made 38 first team appearances with Inverness, and was a substitute when Inverness lifted the Scottish Cup in 2015.
He signed on a three-year deal at Brora Rangers and helped them win the North of Scotland Cup in October when they beat Clachnacuddin 6-1.
Shane Sutherland
Brora Rangers signed Shane Sutherland on a three-year deal in June.
The Halkirk native previously played for Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Peterhead and Elgin City, with an excellent goalscoring record in the lower leagues of Scottish football.
He spent two different periods at Inverness Caledonian Thistle, including between 2010 and 2013 before heading to Elgin City.
At Elgin City, he scored 93 goals in 188 appearances in all competitions across three spells at the club, which saw him named in the League Two team of the year in 2015.
That earned him a return to the Caledonian Stadium in 2020, but he has not played in two years after suffering an ACL injury in the Premiership play-off semi final against Arbroath.
Buckie Thistle
Mark Ridgers
The former Inverness Caledonian Thistle goalkeeper signed for the current Highland League champions Buckie Thistle at the start of the season.
The 33-year-old, who left the League One outfit after his contract expired at the end of last season, agreed to a one-year deal at Victoria Park.
Ridgers signed for Inverness Caledonian Thistle in 2017 and made 280 appearances for the club and holds the record for most clean sheets with 91.
He was part of the Inverness team which reached the Scottish Cup final in 2023.
Ryan Fyffe
Fyffe was one of nine players who went on loan to Fort William in the 2019/20 season from Inverness.
He made his debut for the Caley Thistle first team in 2020 in a 1-1 draw with Ayr United. He made one appearance for the first time before going on loan to Clachnacuddin and Nairn County.
He signed for Buckie Thistle in 2022.
Clachnacuddin
Josh Meekings
Josh Meekings signed for Inverness club Clachnacuddin at the start of the campaign after leaving Brora Rangers.
He was part of the Inverness Caledonian Thistle side that lifted the national trophy in 2015, before moving on to Dundee where he was given the captain’s armband.
After a brief spell south of the border in England, Meekings returned to the Highlands to play for Brora Rangers.
He had spent the previous three years at Dudgeon Park, winning one North of Scotland Cup and two Highland League Cups in his time with the Cattachs.
Strathspey Thistle
Aaron Doran
Arguably one of the most gifted players to have played for Inverness Caledonan Thistle.
Doran left the club at the end of last season following a 13-year association at the Caledonian Stadium.
Doran signed for the Grantown on Spey outfit as a player/coach , joining former Inverness Caledonian Thistle goalkeeper and coach Ryan Esson who is now manager at the Grantown on Spey outfit.
The former Republic of Ireland under-21 international joined Inverness permanently in 2011 after a loan period from Blackburn Rovers the previous season and made over 300 appearances for the club. He was part of the team which won the Scottish Cup in 2015.