David Cancola is now firmly up to speed with the camaraderie at Ross County after initially being taken aback by the ruthless dressing room dynamic.
Austrian midfielder Cancola is in his second season at Victoria Park, after making the move from Slovan Liberec in summer 2021.
In his early days in Scottish football, Cancola admits he was surprised by the “savage” banter which was exchanged among the County squad.
Cancola says he has long since adapted to the change in approach.
He said: “There is so much about Scottish football that has taken me by surprise.
“When I first came here and went into the dressing-room, I thought: ‘wow, these guys all hate each other’ because of the winding up and having a go at each other.
“I was thinking to myself: ‘what is going on here?’ but I soon realised that it is the culture here.
“The more you like someone the more you wind them up and slag them off – it’s a term of endearment in Scotland.
“The more savage it is, the better friends you are. And you see that in our changing room.
“It’s is constant, there are no boundaries and that’s all part of the humour.
“Of all the players, Dominic Samuel is the one who winds people up the most and gets everyone laughing.
“People in this country don’t take themselves as seriously and it’s a different culture.
“Back home, if the dressing-room was like the way it is here, people would get very defensive, but here it’s part of it.
“Banter is the most important thing in the team.
“I have learned to give back what I receive.”
Good humour can help in tough times
Cancola says County’s dressing room dynamic is the perfect way for Malky Mackay’s side to navigate challenging periods.
The 26-year-old added: “It’s important for the team, especially in times when things are not going well, because it keeps the spirits high.
“That means the mentality here is different, because I have been at teams before where it’s not going well and everyone thinks about themselves.
“Nobody speaks, it’s quiet and there is a really bad atmosphere.
“But here when we were on a bad run, there was always humour and everyone was making sure each player was in good spirits.
“That really helps and it means the negativity doesn’t go through the team.
“It’s really different from in Europe, because players think more about the individual than the collective.
“But in Scotland, for sure, it is all about the collective, being united and everyone sticking together.
“You have to be a tight group and, no matter what you are going through on the pitch, everyone helps each other out.
“It’s always positive and with good humour.”
Cancola confident of progress in coming weeks
County are 10th in the Premiership, ahead of their return from the winter break at home to St Johnstone next Saturday.
Cancola, who was part of the Staggies side which finished in the top-half last season, is confident his side can kick on in the latter part of the campaign.
He added: “I don’t want to speak about top-six finishes or anything like that, but I believe we have a lot of potential and can look up.
“I believe we can surprise everyone again this year.”
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