Ross County’s prodigal son Paul Quinn enjoyed a second Staggies debut to remember and hopes to cap his return to the club by helping them to League Cup victory on Sunday.
The 30-year-old left Dingwall to join Aberdeen last summer but, after just six months at Pittodrie, the central defender returned to the Staggies five days before January’s semi-final victory against Celtic.
Quinn was thrown straight in to face the Hoops and played a prominent role in helping the Staggies upset Ronny Deila’s side.
The former Motherwell, Cardiff City and Doncaster Rovers player headed home the second goal in the 3-1 victory against the 10-man Hoops on a never to be forgotten day at Hampden.
He said: “I didn’t expect to go straight in to the team for the semi-final as I hadn’t trained that much and I had a bit of a niggle here and there.
“But the manager just said to try to get as fit as possible and then we would see where we were.
“Luckily enough the team that was selected managed to get the job done.
“The 3-1 score was an added bonus, especially given how the game had started with Celtic taking the lead in the opening minute.
“We saw what it meant to the supporters, the chairman, the manager and the rest of the staff afterwards and it was nice to play a part in helping the club reach the cup final.
“We now have a great chance to make it a really good season.”
For Quinn, it was a tough decision to leave County having captained the side to Scottish Premiership survival in his first spell with the club.
The defender became an instant hit with the Dons supporters after netting a late winner in September’s 2-1 win against Celtic.
But, after 18 appearances for Derek McInnes’ side, the defender opted to return to the Highlands for a second spell with the Staggies and he believes reaching the League Cup final has vindicated his decision.
He said: “I said at the time that I was only going to leave Aberdeen to come back here as I enjoyed my time here so much.
“At the same time, I would only have left here to go to Aberdeen.
“I didn’t regret either of my decisions.
“If we can manage to put in a winning performance in the cup final and finish in the top six then it has the makings of a really good season. It is great to be a part of this.”
Ahead of Sunday’s cup final against Hibernian, Quinn says there is no chance County will be caught out by underestimating Alan Stubbs’ Championship side.
The Easter Road men have already defeated top flight sides Aberdeen, Dundee United and St Johnstone on their way to the final and Quinn is well aware of the danger they pose.
He added: “I think it is difficult to decide who is going into the match as favourites.
“I think you can make an argument for both sides. We are the Premiership team, but they are a bigger club than us.
“We will show Hibernian the respect they deserve given the size of the club and the players they have. I think they are certainly in a false position.
“It is going to be a difficult match for both teams, but one that we are all looking forward to.
“The main aim this season has been trying to make the top six so after beating Celtic in the semi-final we were able to put the final to the back of our mind and focus on the league once again. It is going to be a big occasion and there has been a month of build-up for the supporters and for everyone connected with the club.
“Now the players can start preparing for it properly so it is an exciting feeling.”