Striker Alex Samuel has a goal to be a smash hit in the Highlands – with his loan season at Morton showing him Scotland is a great base for a footballer.
The 25-year-old Welshman became Ross County manager Malky Mackay’s 12th and final summer signing on Tuesday and has plenty of experience to offer as he kicks off his two-year contract with the Staggies.
Thank you and good luck to @Alex_Samuel95, who has today joined @RossCounty.#Chairboys
— Wycombe Wanderers (@wwfcofficial) August 31, 2021
The former Welsh under-18 international, who has played for Swansea and Stevenage, was on loan at Championship Morton under Jim Duffy in 2015-16 and, for the past three years, has been with Wycombe Wanderers.
He played in the 2020 League One play-off final at Wembley as Wycombe beat Oxford to step into the Championship.
Looking to kick on in Premiership
After just two appearances this term and with the goals drying up, he felt the time was right to look for a new challenge and the chance to seal a permanent contract back in Scotland, this time in the top-flight, was too good to ignore.
He said: “A few years ago, I was with Morton in the Championship, and even there I could see it was a really good place to grow, especially as a young lad.
📸@Alex_Samuel95 getting down to business today… pic.twitter.com/YemoIrjN7H
— Ross County FC (@RossCounty) September 1, 2021
“The chance to play in the Premiership against some big teams – Rangers, Celtic, Aberdeen, Hearts and Hibernian – there are a lot of good teams up here.
“For me in my career right now, obviously I’m 25, I think it’s a really good time for me to kick on and show what I can do up in Scotland.”
Striker is seeking swift goals return
With Jordan White and Dominic Samuel the main front men at the club, Samuel simply wants the chance to show his worth.
He added: “The hardest thing in football is scoring goals, so it does come with pressure but all I can do is give my best and that’s what I do wherever I go.
“I would run through a brick wall for this club, that’s my heart, and I’m hoping the goals will come and I’m sure they will.”
Aiming to develop as a team
Being one of a dozen new arrivals is a good thing rather than a drawback for Samuel, who aims to hit the ground running.
He said: “We’ve all come up here, and in ways it’s an advantage because we’re all in that boat together.
⚠️NEW SIGNING⚠️
Alex Samuel has today joined Ross County from League One side Wycombe Wanderers. The striker joins us on a 2-year-deal.
— Ross County FC (@RossCounty) August 31, 2021
“I think it’s good, because for me especially there are a lot of new lads, and we can gel together and form a strong bond straight away.
“That’s a positive for the club I guess, we can all grow and develop together as a team, and that’s something I’m really excited about.”
Ready for new adventure
Samuel arrives in the north with a good number of games under his belt, making more than 50 appearances over the last two years.
He explained how his career rose after a tricky time where injury hampered his progress.
He added: “I was previously at Stevenage, and I had a freak injury with my ankle.
“They couldn’t detect what was wrong – it really should have taken six weeks, but they didn’t detect it for another five months.
“Then they found out what was wrong – I had a chipped bone in my ankle that needed to be removed. It was as simple as that, but it put me out.
“I went to trial at Wycombe in a really bad place in a number of ways.
“Normally when you’re released in League Two, you’re only looking down, but Wycombe had just been promoted to League One and I went there and had a successful trial.
“I was only given a short-term contract at first, and within a month I was starting in League One.
“I played a big part in that season, and then the next year people had doomed us to get relegated and we ended up going to the play-offs and blowing Fleetwood away (6-3 on aggregate in the semis) and playing at Wembley.
“To have that experience under my belt and to be in a promotion-winning side, it was a great experience for me.
“It does build you as a character, but it was just the right time for me at Wycombe
“It felt right to go and get a new adventure and a new challenge, so that’s why I’m here and I’m very excited.”
