Elgin City manager Allan Hale believes new signing Ryan Sargent has been one of Highland League football’s best attacking players with former club Fraserburgh
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Elgin City manager Allan Hale says he has signed one of Highland League football’s most exciting attackers in Fraserburgh front man Ryan Sargent.
The 23-year-old Buchan-based player will join City for the start of pre-season training tonight after penning a three-year deal to join the League 2 outfit.
The Black and Whites are also on the brink of signing another, unnamed Highland League star within the next 24 hours.
Sargent scored 21 goals for Hale’s former Highland League club Fraserburgh last season and is highly rated by the City boss.
The pair worked together when Hale managed north junior club Maud and Sargent was a teenage prospect.
He won a deal at Fraserburgh, thrived in a loan spell at Deveronvale and has been one of the main performers in Broch’s side in the past two seasons.
“Over the past three or four seasons, he’s someone who has just developed and developed, and got better and better,” said Hale.
“I would put him right up there in terms of one of the best attacking players in the Highland League.
“He is so powerful in his running, he is good in the press and his goal contributions whether that's goals or assists has been really strong.
“He has been a pivotal player for Fraserburgh and he’s at a good age, and that’s the type of player I believe we need to look to be making. You could say he has outgrown the Highland League in the sense of their contributions, and it’s about us giving him the opportunity to step up and hopefully prove himself in League 2.
“I certainly think Ryan is a player that the supporters will take to. He’s been really committed to his career and for me I think that is a huge attraction. He’s someone who will want to continue to improve and he deserves his opportunity because he has been one of the standout players in the last couple of seasons.
“I had him at Maud when he first broke onto the scene. He was outstanding then when he was 17, 18 and a really important player for us in a good Maud team.
“It’s a signing that I’m really excited about and one that the supporters will get behind pretty quickly in his tenure at this club.”
City have also signed striker Olly McDonald from Edinburgh City and sold front man Ben Barron to Nairn County.
