July 15th 2024
RONNIE Sharp has continued to reshape his Nairn County squad with the additions of Stephen Mackenzie and Chris Moir on deals until the end of the season. The club lost 13 first team players in the summer but the boss has now recruited eight new faces as he looks for individuals who want to be at the club for the right reasons. Both players have signed on at Station Park until the end of the season and Mackenzie comes in having featured for Clachnacuddin over the last two-and-a-half seasons, where he won the 2014 Highland League (Morganti) Cup. The defender will wear the number two shirt and he said: "I am extremely delighted to be here. Since I have come in, I have been really impressed with the whole setup at the club. The training is really good and Sharpie wants us to play good football, so I am delighted to be here." "I was speaking to Gary Kerr after I saw that he had signed for Nairn and he spoke to the people at the club and after that, I was asked to come through to train and it all took off from there." "It is good to get another crack at the Highland League. I thought I let myself down a bit in the second half of the game at Fraserburgh but it is going to take me a few games to get back into it. I have been playing at left back and I have not played there for a good few years, so it will take me a few games to adjust to playing there, although I have been playing in the middle too." "I just want to play as well as I can for Nairn and hopefully we can start picking up results and push up this league. We definitely have the team to do it." Moir returns to Station Park having spent the 2014/15 season with Nairn County. The midfielder – who takes on the number 14 jersey – barely featured during his first spell with the club but is looking to make up for lost time now. He stated: "I am delighted to have the chance to play at this level again having played for Nairn previously and not being given the chance to prove myself." "I took a break from football after I played for Nairn the last time and then got back into it by playing in the amateur league in Inverness. That got me back to enjoying my football again and I am hoping for a good run out in the team and to do the best I can. Hopefully I can do well for Nairn and we can have a good season." Sharp has already brought Gary Kerr, Calum Riddell, Dylan Mackenzie, Jamie Mackay, Willie Barron and Jason Morganti to the club and is pleased to add further strength to his squad having inherited only seven first team players. The manager said: "Stephen has done really well considering he is still short of fitness and is playing in a position he has never played before." "He came in and played for us after just one training session when we played Deveronvale a few weeks ago. He has been thrown right in at the deep end and has been featuring regularly for us while he is still building up his fitness and starting to get to know the rest of the boys at the same time." "Chris Moir played for us off the bench against Deveronvale and then started the friendly against Caley Thistle and yesterday against Buckie as well. He will give us another option in the middle of the park and out wide." He added: "Both of these players have earned their chance to be a part of our squad this season and want to be at the club for the right reasons. As I have said before, that is important for us when we are looking to bring new players to the club. There is a good spirit and harmony about the whole club now and we want to build a positive environment where the players want to come to training and be a part of things – we won't bring anyone in who we feel could disrupt that." Graeme Macleod
