Martin Scott reckons being pitched into competitive football as a teenager served as a sharp education for him which he’s grateful for now as a boss in the Lowland League.
The 37-year-old former Ross County midfielder was a rising star, brought to the Highlands in 2006 by manager Scott Leitch from relegated Scottish Premier League (SPL) side Livingston.
County were rivals of the Lions in the First Division and it ended in disappointment that term as they dropped down to Division Two after finishing bottom of the pack.
However, they bounced right back the following season after Dick Campbell then Derek Adams within the same campaign helped the club win the third-tier title.
The pinnacle of Scott’s time in a County jersey is helping the team reach the 2010 Scottish Cup final where they lost to Dundee United.
Scott is now the manager of Gala Fairydean Rovers, with his ex-County team-mate Steven Craig his assistant, the duo who netted the goals to sink Celtic in the 2010 Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden.
Tough times served Scott well in end
Scott, whose Gala side finished 12th last term, explained how those early years were a key learning spell in those early stages of his career.
He said: “I spent around five years at Ross County. When I left Livingston, which was a big part of my career, they had just been relegated. I was just a young player, but I was directly involved in that.
“I maybe had too much first-team exposure at 16 or 17 at that time. The SPL was really strong, but it probably stood me in good stead for what lay ahead.
“I played alongside Derek Adams and Scott Leitch was the manager at the time. When Scott left, there were a few managers around that period, including Dick Campbell and Willie McStay.
“There were good coaches and managers and it’s probably no coincidence that a lot of those players are involved in coaching in some capacity or in management roles. That’s credit to the recruitment at that time.
“They have brought in the right type of people with the right type of work ethic. As much as we were a good bunch and we enjoyed a laugh and a joke, we definitely trained on the edge, and it was very competitive. It drove up the standards. I’ll forever be thankful for that stage in my career.”
Fond memories of time in Dingwall
Scott left Victoria Park in January 2011 when he joined Hibs and returned to County for 16 more games on loan in 2012-13.
Although his second Highland stint was as fruitful, he looks back fondly at his time with the Staggies.
He said: “In my second spell, after my loan spell, I had an injury to recover from and I probably wasn’t quite the same player. I was probably technically better, but I didn’t have the same athleticism when I went back.
“But overall, I have fond memories of playing at County. My two girls were born in Raigmore Hospital (in Inverness). I spoke to (former County defender) Scott Boyd a couple of days ago and we were talking about getting a wee trip up to Ross County in the near future.
“I also regularly speak to a lot of the players I played with up there, such as (former players) Richard Brittain and Andrew Barrowman, who is now chief executive at Raith Rovers.”
Ross County will aim to blast back
And with the current County team retaining their top-table status via a dramatic play-off final comeback against Championship side Partick Thistle, Scott is sure the squad will be eager to ensure they’re not at the wrong end of the table same time next year.
He added: “I watched the play-off final on Sky and they will have felt, over the season, they should have come away with more points than they had.
“They went in against a good opponent in Partick Thistle, who were in the ascendency. It just shows the gap is closing between the top end of the Championship and the bottom six of the Premiership.
“Having gone through that experience, those players who are retained, along with those who come in through the manager rebuilding, will be determined to be stronger going in next season.”