Hibs winger Daniel MacKay returns to Inverness Caledonian Thistle on season-long loan

Hibs winger Daniel MacKay has signed for Inverness Caledonian Thistle on a season-long loan, returning to his boyhood club for the 2022/23 Championship season.

The 21-year-old moved to Easter Road on a four-year deal in the summer of 2021 but struggled for gametime in green and white last term after sustaining an injury following a handful of appearances in the early part of the campaign, including a goal in the Europa Conference League against FC Santa Coloma of Andorra.

He joined Kilmarnock on loan in January and picked up a league winners’ medal as the Rugby Park side won the second-tier title.

Hibs are hopeful MacKay can gain more minutes and first-team experience at his former employers.

He converted a penalty as the Capital club’s development side defeated Tranent Juniors 2-1 at Foresters Park last week, and had been tipped for a move to Raith Rovers, where he would be working under former Hibs captain Ian Murray.

But despite training with the Stark’s Park side, MacKay will spend this season in the Highland Capital and will team up with former Hibee Sean Welsh.

MacKay wasn’t with the first-team squad for the pre-season summer training camp in Portugal and manager Lee Johnson confirmed that the winger an fellow youngster Dylan Tait would likely be heading out on loan for the season.

Johnson also confirmed that there had been interest in MacKay from Dunfermline but that the club was keen for the wideman to go to a Championship side to continue his development.