Russell Dingwall insists the appointment of Ross Draper as manager was the main factor in him pledging his future to Elgin City.
Having been out of contract, Dingwall attracted interest from League Two rivals Peterhead along with clubs in the Highland League.
Earlier this summer, Draper was handed the job as Elgin’s player-manager, having been part of the interim coaching team which staved off the threat of relegation in the final weeks of last term.
Dingwall says he was eager to be part of the new era.
He said: “During the summer I wasn’t sure what I was going to be doing.
“When Ross got the job my head was pretty set on going back to Elgin. It’s quite exciting, and a different project to be a part of.
“I get on really well with him – although that might change now he’s the manager.
“When he was a player I would travel through with him from Inverness.
“I agree with the way he sees his plans to play football. When he got the job my mind was pretty set – there were just a couple of things to sort out but I was happy to sign on again.
“At the age I am, I wanted to still play in the leagues for as long as possible.”
Midfielder aiming to help Draper thrive in new role
As well as playing alongside defender Draper at Elgin in the last two years, Dingwall was previously a team-mate of the Englishman at Ross County.
Dingwall is eager to play his part in helping Draper to succeed in his first managerial role.
The 25-year-old added: “It’s obviously a bit of a project for him. It’s all brand new to him as well, going into the job.
“The way he likes to play football is more about trying to dominate the ball, tire teams out and play which I like.
“We will be trying to push for the play-offs. We know it’s going to be a tight league again, teams change all the time but for us it’s about seeing how we all knit together when a couple of new faces come in.
“I’m sure there were a few boys in the same boat as me, who were not sure.
“When he got the job everyone refocused and came back in. It’s a fresh start for everyone, maybe boys who weren’t playing under the previous management have got a fresh lease of life again.
“Because I played with him, I want to do well for him because it’s a bit more personal.”
Dingwall eager to keep up goal tally
Although Elgin had a disappointing campaign in which they finished ninth last year, Dingwall returned a haul of 15 goals from the heart of midfield.
Dingwall hopes to maintain his form to help the Moray outfit climb the table.
He added: “I felt personally I had quite a good season last year.
“I scored a lot of goals at the start, it maybe dried up a bit at the end but 15 goals from midfield was quite good.
“The manager has just said he’s looking for more of the same from me, and to try and kick on and do the same again.
“Hopefully we get a few more signings and we can kick on. We started off well last year, until Christmas we were third in the league.
“Nobody knows what went wrong, but we went into absolute freefall after that.
“It was a good start to the season though, so hopefully this year we can do the same and maintain it.”
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