Ross County defender Jason Naismith is determined to kick start his career with the Highlanders after being forced to sit out of the Staggies’ recent Scottish Cup ties.
Naismith, pictured below, joined the Dingwall club in January from St Mirren, but after making his debut as a substitute in a 2-1 defeat against Motherwell last month, and his first start in a 1-1 draw with Rangers at Ibrox, Naismith was cup-tied for last weekend’s Scottish Cup loss to Aberdeen.
Former Scotland under-21 international Naismith has set his sights on making his mark in Jim McIntyre’s team in the remaining 14 games and said: “After getting into the team against Motherwell then starting against Rangers, the cup match stopped my momentum, but the objective for me hasn’t changed. I am working hard in training every day and try to get in the team regularly.
“I wanted the players to do well and get a run in the Scottish Cup, but it was annoying as I don’t want to miss any game. The sole focus is on the league and we can concentrate on that and pick up as many points as we can.
“I felt good coming on against Motherwell then playing against Rangers was a bonus. We played well that day. It is always good playing at a stadium such as Ibrox. I enjoyed every minute of it and hopefully I can keep performing like that if I get the opportunity.
“It’s been made a lot easier by the players who are here. Andrew Davies is a very good player, I enjoy playing in the same back four as him and I have played with Marcus Fraser before so we also have a good understanding. That made it easier.
“I was always confident of doing well in the game. That’s why I came here, because I think the manager and Billy Dodds can improve me and hopefully these players can improve me as well.”
The Staggies host St Johnstone on Saturday, with the Perth side firmly on course for a sixth consecutive top-six finish.
Naismith believes this weekend’s opponents have set the benchmark for his side, and the 22-year-old added: “Tommy Wright has done a terrific job at St Johnstone. The consistency they have shown has been incredible over the past four or five years, especially given the budget they have got.
“It’s credit to them and we can only look up to them and try to get that level of consistency.
“There are certainly aspirations here to get into the top six and finish as high as we can. We need to find a level of consistency.”