"We're a small club with big ambitions", manager Terry Butcher told parents at the signing session at the Stadium.

One of the eight is 16 year old Ryan Christie, son of former Caley Thistle favourite Charlie Christie, now a youth coach at the club.  He is one of five recruits from Inverness , the others being Andrew Skinner (16), Ryan Watson, Stephen Mackenzie and Matthew Murphy, all aged 17.

Harry Stewart, aged 17, from Aberdeen was formerly on the books at Dundee United while 16 year old Kevin Buchan from Dundee had a spell at Dens Park. Marc Noble, aged 17, from Fraserburgh, is a product of Fraserbugh FC's youth system.

"Liam Polworth has come from the under-19s structure to figure on the bench this season", said Terry Butcher, "while I'm asking the eight new boys to focus on the superb progress made by Nick Ross, Gavin Morrison, Shane Sutherland and Graeme Shinnie, all of whom have come from the under-19s through to make a first team impact this season. It's good for the long-term future of this club to have locally-developed talent coming through.

"It's been very hard in the past couple of weeks to say goodbye to 10 of our first team squad plus five or six from our under-19s. But this frees up space for others to stake their claim, if they're good enough. A new world of opportunity awaits these lads when we begin training on June 20. They'll have to work very hard, but they have already done so with us in getting to the stage of being awarded contracts. The examples of the lads who have made their way to the first team squad should inspire them."