Ross County defender Callum Morris is determined to grasp another top-flight opportunity with the Staggies.
Morris, who was born in Newcastle but has previously been called up by Northern Ireland, helped County win promotion back to the Premiership at the first time of asking last season, although his campaign was blighted by injuries which restricted him to just 19 appearances.
The 29-year-old has previous top-flight experience with Dundee United which earned him a move to Aberdeen in 2016 but he did not feature after recovering from an Achilles injury.
Morris feels ready to make an impact among Scotland’s elite, and he said: “This is where you want to play your football – the Premiership.
“It is the biggest league in Scotland and that’s where everybody wants to be. I’m happy I’ve managed to come back from what happened last year
“I’ve done enough in the managers’ eyes to play. It’s my job to stay in the team and I’m hungry to show everyone what I can do.
“Any opportunity you get, you have to take it. I went to Aberdeen and I wouldn’t change it.
“I didn’t really play, but I had a good time there regardless. I came here last season from Dunfermline with the idea we were going to win the league. I felt that on the first day.
“I know we have a squad here that’s more than capable of competing in the Premiership. We’re not just here to make the numbers up, we’re here to make an impact. We need to carry it on.”
Morris played from the start in County’s opening day 3-0 win over Hamilton Accies, but despite the strong start the centre-half is not taking his place in Stuart Kettlewell and Steven Ferguson’s team for granted.
He added: “On Friday everyone was second guessing who would play, but that’s just testament to the managers – they’ve built a really strong, competitive squad.
“Regardless of who plays, everyone has got each other’s back.
“I was lucky enough to be in the starting 11 and it is our job to stay in the team now.
“It all adds to what we’ve got going here. The managers want that kind of positive headache with so many players knocking on the door.
“The win over Hamilton wasn’t just about the 11, it was about the whole group on the bench and in the stand – it has been brilliant since day one.”
