Inverness boss concedes defeat in Stokes chase

Inverness boss John Hughes has given up hope of taking Anthony Stokes on loan from Celtic.

Hughes was keen to bring the 27-year-old striker, whom he bossed at Falkirk and Hibernian, to the Highland club.

Struggling Dundee United have reportedly reached an agreement with the Parkhead side with regards bringing Stokes to Tannadice with boss Mixu Paatelainen saying: "We just have to wait and see with Anthony. We're at the bottom of the table but we're an attacking side. He is a quality striker."

Hughes claimed it was time to move on after missing out on "a maverick, a wonderful footballer'' who has fallen out of favour with the Hoops.

He told Radio Clyde: "It looks like Anthony Stokes is going elsewhere. So we wish him all the best.

"Whoever gets him they are getting a real talented footballer.

"We just have to move on. To be honest we were sort of doing that anyway, three or four days ago.

"We read the picture and reading between the lines we realised that he didn't fancy Inverness.

"So we have been moving on and hopefully we can try to attract someone else.

"It is certainly in the attacking areas that we need to strengthen and there is one or two on the go and hopefully in the next week or so we might have one in."

Hughes claimed it was "irrelevant" why Stokes was uninterested in a move to Inverness, saying: "I wish him all the best, he is still a good friend of mine."

He was even able to joke about his move for the Republic of Ireland international.

He said: "He must be really fit at this moment in time because the last time I got a text was four days ago telling me he would phone me after training and I never heard from him.

"So he must have been training for the last four days, he must be really putting himself through the wringer.

"But I decided three or four days ago not to put pressure on the kid. He is probably feeling it a little bit in terms of being out of the picture at Celtic and he needs to get himself going again so hopefully that is the case."