Ross County midfielder Christopher Routis has set his sights on filling the void left by recently-departed Jackson Irvine and ultimately follow him in moving to a higher level.
Frenchman Routis joined County from Bradford City this summer, ending a two-year stint with the English League 1 side, having previously played for Swiss club Servette.
County are light in midfield after Australian international Irvine’s £300,000 move to English Championship side Burton Albion, giving Routis the chance to cement his place in the middle of the park.
The 26-year-old is likely to start tonight’s Betfred Cup tie against Alloa Athletic, with Martin Woods sidelined by a knee injury picked up in Saturday’s game against Raith Rovers.
Routis is determined to make the most of his opportunity and said: “That’s why I came here. Like all of the players in the squad, I want to play every game, start every game.
“Jackson is a very good player. I saw that when I joined training here and in the friendly games. Now he has moved to the English Championship, so that provides an opportunity for me to take his position.
“I need to work hard now and prove myself.
“I came here aspiring to play every game. I hope to have a big season and have a carrot at the end, like Jackson.
“That’s what Jackson did – he performed very well and earned his move.
“I’m really happy to be here but, like every player, I want to play at the highest possible level. We are in the top league in Scotland and it’s good. But I want to play at a higher level. I need to prove I can play here first and, after that, I expect more.”
Routis missed the early part of pre-season after picking up a calf injury on the first day of training but has now worked his way back to fitness and replaced Woods for the second-half of Saturday’s match against Raith.
He is pleased to have overcome the early setback, and added: “The injury was a really bad start for me and my head was down a little bit. But I knew I had time to recover and I worked hard on my own. Now I feel part of the group.
“I played 30 minutes in Budapest and I played 45 minutes in Saturday’s game. Like everyone, I need minutes on the pitch, but since we came back from Hungary I have put in extra work on my own after training to catch up with the other players.
“I am starting to feel better and better physically and I think I’m ready to play, although I know I’ll feel better after a couple of games.”
