William Akio revealed how determination to battle through injury drove him towards scoring his first goal in a Ross County jersey.
The quick-footed forward, 24, who was signed by manager Malky Mackay scored a dramatic late goal to seal a 1-1 Scottish Premiership draw against Aberdeen on Saturday.
It was a moment of joy for the striker snapped by from Candian top-flight side Valour FC, who was keen to build on an impressive debut with two assists in a 7-0 Premier Sports Cup rout of East Fife.
𝗦𝗔𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝗡𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧 𝗩𝗜𝗕𝗘𝗦🕺 pic.twitter.com/GGDZ7Ev9La
— Ross County FC (@RossCounty) September 3, 2022
That group tie was also Akio’s debut, but it led to a knee injury, which the club feared might sideline him for many months.
He stepped off the bench at the weekend and delivered a 94th-minute strike to wipe out Aberdeen’s superb opener from Luis Lopes.
Swift-healing forward stayed positive
Akio explained how hard work was the key in the background to him making a speedy return to contention.
He said: “The injury wasn’t major, a tear in the meniscus, which ranges from six to 12 weeks. So, I came back pretty fast.
“I didn’t take a single day off and my plan was to just come back as soon as possible. I just heal quicker than others.
“The injury happened still very early in the season and I took the positives from that, which is better than being in the middle of the season. Now that I’m back, I feel positive going forward.
“I’ve been off for a month now and I just wanted to come in and make an impression. It was good for me personally to score but I just wanted another two points for the team. I wish it was a game-winning goal.”
County refused to accept late defeat
County’s impressive bravery to recover from Aberdeen’s late goal was crucial as they ensure they were not going to be losers from what was a close contest, which extended their unbeaten run over the Reds to five games.
He said: “It was encouraging that we kept going after they scored. That’s one thing about this group, they don’t give up. They are always positive.
“No matter what time we have left we keep going forward looking to score. This point is important, for sure.”
Happy to score in my debut match in-front of our amazing fans! Thank you God for giving me strength 🙏🏿⚽️ @ Ross County Football Club https://t.co/et5MGjhBhf
— William Akio (@willyakio) September 4, 2022
Akio hails ‘amazing’ Ross County fans
When asked the main assets he’ll bring to the Staggies, he added: “I just want to bring energy to the team, I’m very electric and I believe I can do that.”
And the feel-good factor continued for the forward into the weekend when he tweeted: “Happy to score in my debut match in-front of our amazing fans!”
Summer recruits gelling at Staggies
Midfielder Jordan Tillson, meanwhile, has been impressed by the 10 summer recruits as he sees steady signs of progress ahead of this weekend’s home league clash against in-form Motherwell.
He said: “We’ve had a really tough run, but this squad is really together.
“There is a strong backbone, with the players who were here last season and the new lads are definitely buying into what is needed.
“We’ve all got a good grasp into what’s needed in this league now and we’re ready to take into our next game this Saturday.
“We’ve made our home ground a fortress and we want to keep it that way.”
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