Ross County manager Malky Mackay hopes winger Josh Sims can kick start a trend of long-term captures at Victoria Park.
Mackay landed former Southampton player Sims on a two-and-a-half year contract earlier this week.
The 24-year-old has been a free agent since leaving St Mary’s last summer, during which time he has been dealing with heart and bowel health issues.
Sims made 27 appearances for Premier League outfit Saints, and also previously spent time on loan with Reading, Doncaster Rovers and New York Red Bulls.
Mackay hailed the persistence of his head of analysis, scouting and recruitment Enda Barron in making the deal happen.
The Staggies have six loan players at present, but Mackay hopes the addition of Sims shows a willingness to build longer-term foundations.
Mackay said: “It is through circumstance that we’ve managed to get Josh, but sometimes you make your own luck.
“It was through doggedness by Enda Barron that we got him.
“It also came down to the player’s willingness to throw himself fully into it and say he was going to come up here with family and all.
“He could also see the path that I showed him as to how to get back there, at the level he was previously, and that’s what I want for him.
“He can come here and light it up. I then want him going back down there to play against Southampton in the Premier League in England – or they buy him back.
“I want more players like that, and like Jack Baldwin – another who decided to come up here and lay down some roots.
“They buy into it and see the vision I’m trying to show them.
“We’ve had, through necessity, a number of loans and hopefully in time that can lessen.
“But in the short-term we’ll need to do that until we get to a situation where we’ve got our talent identification and recruitment fully operating and a strong group all under contract.”
Winger will be reacquainted with familiar faces at Dingwall
Sims will team up with former Southampton team-mates Jake Vokins and Kayne Ramsay, who are on loan at Dingwall.
Mackay says Sims is still short of the sharpness required to make a quick impact ahead of Saturday’s Premiership trip to Hibernian.
He added: “He’s not match fit at the moment. But, as far as going forward, he’s a winger with pace and he’s clever.
“He has good personality, he understands the game. Having spoken to Jake Vokins, who knows him really well, he is buzzing he has signed here.
“There is a close relationship we have got with Southampton, and in particular the loans manager Danny Butterfield, who has been up and around the club for the last few months.
“He’s been very positive on his views on Josh. When you’ve got someone within a Premier League club telling you he’s done well, I’m really delighted.
“Josh is someone who has got really great potential. He is valued a lot down at Southampton, not only by the club, but the public as well.”
