Ross Callachan keen to avoid drop danger with Ross County
Ross Callachan wants to make sure there is no reason to think of next season as bittersweet after signing for Ross County.
The 27-year-old starred for Hamilton Academical over the last year, finishing the campaign as the club’s top scorer with 10 goals, but suffering the pain of relegation from the Premiership.
County were another one of the teams fighting against the drop right up until the final matches of the season, only avoiding a play-off on the last day.
So Callachan wants to repeat his individual successes while helping his new teammates finish higher up the league table.
“Personally, I don’t want to have another season like last year,” the former Hearts midfielder insisted.
“It was a wee bit bittersweet, because I was doing well but we weren’t as a team, so it was quite hard.
“I’m always motivated, it doesn’t take much to get me motivated, so I’m looking forward to the season ahead.
“The main thing for us I think after last season is Premiership safety. Anything after that is a bonus.
“The club clearly don’t want to have another season like they did last year, so it’s my job to help them do that and push on from there.”
Callachan had reportedly been the subject of interest from other top flight clubs in Scotland, as well as teams south of the border, so he was not short of options after leaving Hamilton.
The Staggies’ desire to bring him on board, though, convinced him north.
“It was just how much they wanted me, and they showed that more than other clubs,” Callachan said.
“That was it for me, I wanted to go somewhere where I was wanted – I think most players will tell you that.
“I’ve not heard a bad word about Ross County.
“Everybody speaks pretty highly of the club, and about Inverness and Dingwall, so it was a no-brainer for me to come up here.”
Hamilton seemed to be a good fit for Callachan, leading to his strong form last season, making it a difficult decision to leave – but he was desperate to play regular, top flight football.
“I absolutely loved my time at Hamilton,” he added.
“The club is amazing, they’re really good with their players, and I obviously enjoyed myself on and off the pitch there. It was a tough decision, but I feel like it’s the right one for me.
“County really wanted me, and I wanted to still be playing football at as high a level as I could, so to stay in the Premiership was a big decision for me as well.
“My next move was quite a big one. I wanted to go to a club where I felt I had a right good chance of playing.
“That’s massive for me, because after playing a lot of games last year I didn’t want to go back and be a squad player. I want to have a similar season, play as many games as I can and do well.”