Irvine's relief after making County switch permanent
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JACKSON Irvine's move to Ross County could not come soon enough after relations with former club Celtic broke down.
Without much of a pre-season under his belt, Irvine had been training with Celtic's youth teams before returning to Dingwall this week.
The Australian midfielder is delighted to be back in familiar surroundings, where he made 27 appearances on loan last season and played a pivotal role in the club's fight against relegation.
Manager Jim McIntyre never gave up hope on tempting the 22-year-old back to the Global Energy Stadium, despite the league champions offering him a new contract.
Irvine insists that move was just so Celtic could claim compensation his six years under contract at Parkhead, which County paid a small undisclosed fee for.
"Unfortunately, we didn't part on the terms I would have liked to after nearly six years with Celtic," said Irvine, who signed a two-year deal with County.
"I trained with the first team for the first week. Once the younger teams came back I spent most of my time with the under-17s and under-18s. It was mainly just about trying to keep myself fit for when the deal, eventually, was done.
"There were options mentioned all the way through the month, but the big thing for me was being somewhere I can recognise. At a certain age, you have to start to establish yourself somewhere. I know the staff, the management and I'm just glad to be back."
Given his lack of playing time in pre-season, Irvine faces a battle to take his place against his former side in Glasgow this weekend.
He admits it feels like a strange "twist of fate" that his first game after the permanent switch could be against the side that have just let him go.
The Staggies finished last season on a high, racking up 32 points from a possible 42 and steering themselves clear from relegation, which had loomed over them during the first half of the season.
Irvine has only re-joined training this week but sees quality in the side that could help County kick on this campaign.
"Apart from losing Paul Quinn, Martin Woods and Mark Brown, essentially that starting 11 is all still here," he said.
"And the gaffer has recruited really well. I trained with the boys yesterday and there are some really good players in the squad."
McIntyre made Irvine his 12th summer signing yesterday and he will compete with Rocco Quinn, Stewart Murdoch and Ian McShane for a spot in the middle of the park.
There is no doubt, according to McIntyre, that the Australian youth international could go on to further his career with success at County.
“He had other options, but we’ve got a good working relationship. He knows how I like to play, and what I see for him," said the County manager.
“The next part of Jackson’s career is to go and get 100 games under his belt, because there’s no doubt in my mind he can use this as a stepping stone and play at a higher level if he does the right things."
- Long-serving club secretary Donnie MacBean is standing down after 30 years in the role.
He will be succeeded by his daughter, Fiona, but will continue in an ambassadorial role in Dingwall.
“Having been involved with Ross County for 49 years, 30 of them as football secretary, I felt it was time the club put in place a structure to follow on from me,” said MacBean
Fiona added: “It feels like the natural and right thing to do to follow in Dad’s footsteps."
