Ross County manager Jim McIntyre reckons the addition of Scotland international David Goodwillie is a measure of the Dingwall side’s progress.
McIntyre moved just hours before Monday’s transfer deadline to secure the attacker on a loan deal from Aberdeen until the end of the season.
Goodwillie has three Scotland caps, scoring against Spain in a 3-1 defeat in a European qualifying match in 2011, just months after a £2million move to Blackburn Rovers from Dundee United.
McIntyre hopes the forward can thrive at Victoria Park, saying: “I think it’s a fabulous signing and shows that we can attract a player of David’s calibre. A couple of years ago I don’t think a player such as David would have come to Ross County.
“That tells us we’re doing a lot of things well and how people perceive our club now.
“He’s played for Scotland and that shows what David is capable of. If he can get back to scoring goals regularly he can kick on.
“It’s probably been a frustrating time for him, being in and out of the team at Aberdeen.
“Any player wants to play regularly. There will be an opportunity for him at some stage to grab that jersey here and the rest will be up to him.
“We’ve got good options in attack just now and he enhances that further.”
The addition of Goodwillie means County now have five forwards, but McIntyre said the Dons attacker’s arrival will ease the pressure on Craig Curran’s recovery, with the Englishman having struggled to shake off the effects of concussion sustained earlier in the season.
McIntyre added: “Craig is still recovering. He’s been picking up a few illnesses with his immune system, so we’ve decided to let him recover and rest in the next week or two.
“We’ll then take it from there. It’s important we build Craig back up, so that was all the more reason for adding David.”