Malky Mackay backs goalkeeper Ross Munro to have good career in Scottish football – whether that is at Ross County or not
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Malky Mackay has backed Ross County goalkeeper Ross Munro to have a long career in professional football.
The 23-year-old shot-stopper will be given the gloves for the Staggies' opening League Cup group stage fixtures as Ross Laidlaw takes the final steps in his recovery from a knee operation.
It is a long-awaited chance for Munro to show what he can do in the County first team, with opportunities having been limited in recent years.
Since playing in every round of the club's Challenge Cup triumph in 2018/19, he has made just two appearances for the Staggies – a league match against Dundee United in May 2022, and a League Cup group stage match away at Buckie this time last year.
He is highly-rated in Dingwall though, and has spent time out on loan at Annan Athletic, Cowdenbeath and Raith Rovers, where he was number one in the title-winning squad in the shortened 2019/20 campaign.
Mackay says he sat down with the goalkeeper at the end of last season to discuss his future, and it was mutually agreed that Munro would spend one more campaign in Dingwall as number two.
Whether his long-term future is at County or not, though, Mackay expects Munro to be a fixture at a good level for years to come.
"He's a really good boy as a number two, and he's a really good goalie," Mackay explained.
"He will have a career as a league goalkeeper, and how high he goes is up to him.
"We've got a top goalie at the moment, and Ross Munro has been a great understudy. He has learned a lot from Ross Laidlaw and (goalkeeping coach) Scott Thomson over the years.
"We had a chat at the end of last season about what was next for his development, and I was very open as to how fair I'm being with him.
"He's a fabulous boy to have around this football club, he's a great ambassador for Ross County and he trains like a beast.
"There will be a point where he needs to get his career going, but he wanted to be here for another year just to give himself another few fundamentals before he possibly steps out.
"We've had countless clubs calling us about him, and seeing what I see through the leagues, he's going to be a good goalkeeper."
Mackay has previously spoken at length about what it takes to develop players, but goalkeepers are a slightly different situation given how few and far between opportunities to play can be for deputies.
"It's something that has to be a real balance, because if your goalkeeper goes down, the one that comes in has to play at Parkhead," Mackay added.
"The person on the bench has to be ready to play in the first minute, because the goalie might get sent off. Knowing our luck, that's probably going to happen at some point.
