Ross County defender Scott Boyd is not daunted by the prospect of facing champions Celtic in today’s Premiership opener, insisting the Staggies are determined to hit the ground running this season.
County performed a remarkable revival last season, finishing ninth in the Premiership despite being six points adrift at the bottom of the table in early February.
The Staggies looked destined for relegation to the Championship having won only two of their opening 24 matches but their fortunes turned dramatically, with Jim McIntyre’s men winning 10 of their last 14 games to remain in the top-flight for a fourth successive season.
The previous year, County only avoided the relegation play-off position thanks to a 1-0 win against Hibernian in the penultimate game of the season after an upsurge in fortunes in the second half of the campaign.
Defender Boyd is eager for his side to avoid another scrap for survival and said: “We had Celtic on the opening day a couple seasons ago and lost 2-1, so it’s nothing new for us. Celtic is just another game to look forward to, we want to get off to a good start as well.
“We just have to go there and be ready for it.
“A good start is massively important. The manager has said we need to get off to a good start and not end up playing catch-up like we did last year.
“We’ve really been working hard in pre-season to make sure we are ready for it.”
Boyd is County’s longest-serving player, having initially joined on loan from Partick Thistle in September 2007 before making the move permanent four months later.
The defender signed a two-year extension at Victoria Park in the summer and, if fulfilled, Boyd will be eligible for a testimonial as a result of 10 years of service to the Highlanders.
McIntyre has drafted in new club captain Andrew Davies from Bradford City and former Port Vale defender Chris Robertson to compete with Boyd for a central defensive slot and Boyd is not taking his place in the side for granted.
Boyd added: “We had to strengthen with players moving on.
“Competition has come in and I’ll have to compete for my place. It seems to be every season I’ve formed a new defensive partnership but we’ve brought in some good players.
“If I can get in the side and get a partnership then great but it’s more important that Ross County do well this season.”