Australia international Josh Nisbet out to prove size doesn’t matter at Ross County as he readies for Aberdeen
Josh Nisbet is first to admit he will never be a giant of the Scottish game.
But the Australia midfield dynamo has spent most of his life proving size doesn’t matter.
At 5ft 3ins tall, last year’s A-League player of the year - the prestigious Johnny Warren medal - has frequently faced doubters and detractors.
But warnings that he would never make it in the game have long since been shot to pieces.
Elevation into the current Socceroos’ World Cup squad amid a stunning last season at Central Coast Mariners was another crowning moment in his career.
The versatile 25-year-old is now determined to prove big things can come in small packages on the other side of the world having sealed the move to Europe he craved.
Nisbet said: “I have a low centre of gravity and I get my body in the way.
“I’m not going to go out there and absolutely smack someone, but I will compete and work hard to make sure nobody doubts I can physically compete.
“Even throughout my youth development, I always went out having to prove people wrong about my height.
“As much as you would like to hope it’s different coming into senior football, it’s still a bit the same.
“An opportunity in a league like this, which is high quality as well as physically demanding, is going to be a great step up to prove myself.
“Do I enjoy proving people wrong? At the start, you get down a little bit, but now it’s a case of ‘say what you like’.
“I’ll always back myself to do what I need to do.”
Don Cowie and his County staff are excited by the capture after beating off a host of European clubs to secure his signature.
On Thursday, Nisbet was again named in the 24-man squad for the Socceroos’ FIFA World Cup 2026 third round qualifiers against Bahrain and Indonesia
Asked why he chose Scotland as opposed to continental European options, Nisbet stressed: “I had a lot of good feedback from Australian boys that had been here.
“They said it’s a good club to help take a step forward in your career. I took that on board and made the decision.
“Harry Souttar (ex-Ross County and Stoke City, now Leicester and Sheffield United on loan) was one who reached out to me and said the club is good, the staff are good, and it’s a good opportunity.
“There are a good number of Aussies who have done well in this league and if I could maybe follow in their footsteps, I’d be doing all right.
“It definitely puts confidence in me.
“I know all the Aussie boys, but Lewis Miller (Hibs) and Kye Rowles (Hearts) are ex team-mates of mine back in Australia.
“It will be good to catch up, and be competitive against each other.
“But it is more that it’s a great step in my career.
“It’s also going to prove a lot of people wrong when it comes to physical doubts, if I can compete in probably one of the most difficult leagues for physicality.
“It should help me in a lot of ways.”
Nisbet was initially expected to feature only after acclimatisation and some bounce matches, most likely after the international break.
But his work in training and 20 minutes in the 6-0 defeat against Rangers at Hampden have convinced Cowie to draft him into the match-day squad for Aberdeen’s visit.
Nisbet said: “Hampden just wasn’t our day. Unfortunately these things happen, but all we can do is look forward to the next game coming up.
“I have only had 20 minutes. It will be good once I’ve made my full debut and I’m in there competing and fighting for the ball.
“I feel confident and I’m looking forward to it.
“It will be great to play at home for the first time. As everyone has said, we have got quite a good fortress here.
“I’m looking forward to trying to get as many points as we can in those run of games.
“Aberdeen have started brilliantly, winning three from three, which is as well as you could start.
“If we are able to take some points off them that would be great. We expect a good game.
“If I can do really well in home games in front of the fans, it will be brilliant.
“We want to get as many points as we can.”
As for his latest call from the Socceroos, Nisbet is thrilled.
He added: “When I was eight, I got Socceroos everything for my birthday.
“It was always an ambition of mine, but you don’t quite realise how close or far it is at the time.
“I was playing well and hoping for it, and fortunately it came. I hope to keep pushing and stay in there as long as I can.
“There’s a lot of competition in the Australian midfield. We’ve got a lot of players playing in high level leagues.
“I need to make sure I’m performing and doing well, and I back myself to do that – and I back Ross County to get as many points to help me do that.
“To get into the top-six would be brilliant, and personally I just want to play as much as I can, get as many goals and assists as I can, but mainly help the team in any way that’s possible.”
