JIM McINTYRE wants to replicate Dundee United's prodigious conveyor belt of youth talent in the Highlands.
The Ross County manager admits he marvels at the way his former club have consistently replaced players ensnared by bigger clubs from both sides of the border.
Gary Mackay-Steven, Nadir Ciftci and Stuart Armstrong are only the latest Tannadice talents to have been lured away, but McIntyre has no doubt they will be replaced by a fresh influx.
Creating a similar stream in the sparsely-populated Highlands has proven tough, although the backgrounds of two of those United sales to Celtic are instructive.
Mackay-Steven hails from Caithness and emerged in County's youth academy before a move to Liverpool, while Armstrong was on the books of Inverness before his parents moved away from the city.
For McIntyre, the here and now of Premiership matters will never be allowed to eclipse long-term planning for the future. He said: "I think United deserve great credit given the number of players they've had to sell on. They keep reproducing these good young players.
"They're doing so much so well, especially at youth level and it is fantastic the way they keep bringing young, talented lads into the first team. It's a great model they have there – and one we'd like to emulate. Their catchment population is bigger, obviously, and we have slightly different challenges up here, but that's exactly how we would like the youth system to work.
"There is a huge amount of work going on here behind the scenes. Stevie Ferguson, our head of youth, is getting his teeth right into that side of things and building good relationships. But when you start something like that, you barely see the fruit of it for a few years. I certainly think about it and we've put procedures in place.
"Hopefully, it starts to bear fruit later on. If that happens sooner, rather than later then great. But you've got to give it time. Fergie is the perfect man for that. he's doing a great job. We've certainly got the facilities for it and that's an attraction in trying to sell it to players and their families. The structure of our football club is fantastic and that definitely does help."
County won handsomely at Rugby Park last weekend, following it up with a solid win at home to Ayr in the League Cup. McIntyre said: "It's another tough one – United have good players and move the ball really well. They like to play in between the lines, so it'll be a difficult game.
"Home games are important and we'll do all we can to get another positive result. Our performance levels have been good and it is just about trying to keep it going. The international break is approaching and we want to make sure we are going into that on the back of a good result."
The County boss hopes to have striker Craig Curran fit again after his head knock and has an otherwise full-strength squad.
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