Ross County midfielder Davis Keillor-Dunn is excited about the Staggies’ chances of Premiership survival this season after his mentor took the reins.
The 20-year-old Englishman was a key part of Stuart Kettlewell’s second-string side which captured the Development League championship in 2016-17 before making the step up to the first team this season.
Keillor-Dunn has impressed during his first full season with County despite the fact the club are now on to their third manager of the campaign after Owen Coyle resigned last week.
Kettlewell and academy director Steven Ferguson have been given the job until the end of the season and Keillor-Dunn said his team-mates are right behind the duo.
He said: “At the minute the boys are just excited because we know what’s to come and what can happen under these two. Anything can happen, we could go and win the next 10 games.
“I know it seems far-fetched but in football things can change so quickly.”
Keillor-Dunn is adamant that County’s surprising triumph in last season’s Development League was down to Kettlewell’s commitment and he is confident he can help turn around the first team’s fortunes.
Along the way to the title last season, County’s under-20 side even managed a 1-0 win away to a Celtic side which included Dedryck Boyata, Kristoffer Ajer and Gary Mackay-Steven.
Keillor-Dunn added: “We won the league last season and I couldn’t believe how good Stuart was. I was training every day and thought to myself I’d had a good session but he was still wanting more from me.
“I’ve been to some good clubs and never witnessed that. From minute one I knew he was going to get the best out of me.
“With me being a wide player, it wasn’t preached to me to do a lot of defending. Ketts brought that side out of me and drilled it into me that sometimes if the game isn’t going for you, you need to play for the team and grind out a result.
“We did that and it worked all season so I think we can transfer that to the boys in the first team and get results.”
Despite their struggles, the Staggies are still only three points behind second-bottom Partick Thistle with 10 matches still to play.
Crucial home matches against fellow relegation battlers Thistle and Hamil-ton Accies are still to come before the split but co-managers Kettlewell and Ferguson’s first assignment is a tricky away fixture against in-form Kilmarnock on Saturday.
