Dominic Samuel is determined to spearhead manager Malky Mackay’s Ross County rebuild after signing a two-year deal at Dingwall.
Samuel has moved to Scotland after playing his entire career south of the border so far, most recently with Gillingham who he left at the end of last season.
The 27-year-old came through the youth ranks at Reading before joining Blackburn Rovers in 2017, where he spent three years prior to moving to the Gills last summer.
Recently-appointed Staggies boss Mackay has made Samuel his second signing, following the capture of Hamilton Accies midfielder Ross Callachan.
Former England under-19 international Samuel says the chance to play a major role in Mackay’s new-look side provided him with a fresh challenge that he was eager to grasp.
Samuel said: “I had options to stay in England but when you’ve got teams in your league like Celtic and Rangers, it felt like a good time to come out of my comfort zone.
“I can test myself against some teams in this league who are better than the teams down south.
“I have been playing down south for a while now, so the new challenge and fresh start was one of the main reasons why I came up.
“This is the perfect place to come and enjoy my football and do well with the team. I can learn under a good manager and just remain focused.
A new face at the Global Energy Stadium
✍️Welcome to the Staggies Dominic Samuel!
— Ross County FC (@RossCounty) June 29, 2021
“I had a good word with the manager on Monday for an hour or so, he has told me his plans for what he wants to do and he told me he’s restructuring the team.
“I’ve got great belief in what his plans are, and that was one of the things that attracted me to come to a club like Ross County.”
Samuel netted six goals in 26 appearances for the Gills last season, but spent three months on the sidelines due to a hamstring injury before returning in March to play the final seven games of the campaign.
With injury problems having also hampered his time with Blackburn, Samuel is confident his issues are behind him.
Samuel added: “I have had little minor injuries that set me back a bit, but I guess that’s just football.
“It started off well at Gillingham, and then coming up towards Christmas time I just tried to overstretch for the ball and ended up with a slight pull on my hamstring.
“During the middle of the season, that’s business time coming towards the end of the season, so it just came at the wrong time.
“I managed to get back fit again for the last few games.
“The injuries have played a little part, but I’m doing everything I can to stay on top of it.
“I’ve got things going on behind closed doors that are keeping me fit. That’s just football sometimes, you win some and you lose some – you are going to get injuries.
“The main thing now is to just get a run of games, get scoring and get back to my best.”
Although playing in the Premiership will be a new experience for Samuel, he has had plenty Scottish influence in his career so far.
Samuel played under Steve Evans at Gillingham last season, while he also worked under current Scotland boss Steve Clarke at Reading.
Samuel reflects fondly on both spells, adding: “Every manager has their way of getting into players, and clearly Steve Evans has his way of getting into players.
“It works, and it keeps you on your toes. You don’t want a manager who makes you want to feel comfortable, you want a manager who wants to make sure you are always 100% and giving it your all.
“Sometimes that’s the better way to be as it keeps the whole squad on their toes.
“At times it can be an eye-opener, but every manager has their way and that seemed to be his way of getting into players. It doesn’t matter who you are.
“I had a brief spell under Steve Clarke when I was at Reading. He was a quality manager, a very tactical manager and I learned quite a bit from him.”
