Midfielder Cammy Ballantyne admits he ‘wouldn’t rule out’ a permanent move to Montrose after his latest loan comes to an end.
The St Johnstone youngster joined the Gable Endies for his FOURTH loan spell last week on a deal until January.
The 22-year-old is under contract until the summer of 2024.
He appeared (and scored) for St Johnstone in their Premier Sports Cup group campaign but has struggled to make an impact in the Saints’ first team.
In contrast, Ballantyne was a regular in Stewart Petrie’s side last season making 30 appearances as they pushed for Championship promotion.
Asked about the possibility of making his stay at Links Park permanent, he told Montrose TV: “I’d consider it anyway.
“I wouldn’t be here if I thought it was a silly move for myself. I wouldn’t rule anything out.
“I’ve enjoyed it and hopefully we can have another successful season.
— Montrose FC (@MontroseFC) September 23, 2022
“I’ve just been at St Johnstone on the fringes there, looking at some other options to get games.
“[Re-joining Montrose] was a no-brainer for me because I’ve enjoyed it.
“I’ve enjoyed it more and more each time I’ve been here.
“The boys are good; I know the staff and I don’t need to start anywhere new. It was perfect for me.”
Eyeing 100 appearances
Ballantyne sits on 79 appearances for the Gable Endies and could make it 80 this Saturday against FC Edinburgh.
The young Saintee acknowledges it is an incredible number to be on for a loanee and he has his eyes set on making it a century.
To do that, however, he would need to extend his stay beyond January.
If Ballantyne was to play every game of his current spell it would see him narrowly miss out on 93 appearances.
“I don’t know if anyone’s had four loan spells, let alone 100 appearances,” he said. “If I can get 100 I’ll be delighted.
“You enjoy it when you play with boys like that, you can grow together.
“All of the boys here have been with the club for a long period of time. That helps with the togetherness, it helps get your through.
“When I came back into the changing room, it wasn’t awkward it felt normal for me.”
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