Ross County manager Malky Mackay has made Jack Baldwin the new club captain – with goalkeeper Ross Laidlaw landing the vice-skipper role.
With the 2023/24 campaign kicking off on Saturday with an epic trip to League Two Stranraer in the Viaplay Cup, the internal moves were announced on Wednesday afternoon.
Ross County FC can confirm that Jack Baldwin has been named as club captain for the 23/24 season. Ross Laidlaw will take on the role as vice captain.
We wish both players the very best with their new roles at the club! pic.twitter.com/QGc7jr2Tlk
— Ross County FC (@RossCounty) July 12, 2023
With 2022-23 club captain Keith Watson moving on and joining Championship side Raith Rovers after not being offered a new deal in Dingwall, fellow central defender Baldwin takes the position, having been team captain last term.
‘Lieutenants’ White and Randall
Mackay pointed to the departures of experienced duo Alex Iacovitti and David Cancola and felt it was time to make clear who will have the responsibility of leading the playing staff at the Global Energy Stadium.
He said: “Keith, Alex and David Cancola were three men who were really good ambassadors for our football club.
“We’ve lost them, and we’ve had good chats with all three, so I wish them the very best for the rest of their careers.
“That has left gaps, so Jack Baldwin takes over as captain of the football club and his vice-captain will be Ross Laidlaw.
“Connor Randall and Jordan White become important lieutenants as well, so between a good dressing room – which I think I’ve got – and the fact that our staff is headed up by (secretary) Fiona MacBean, it’s really important for youngsters coming up.”
Backroom staff play such vital roles
Mackay was quick to praise the role of the behind-the-scenes staff at the Premiership side for playing such crucial parts.
He said: “They can help with basics like getting stuff and getting cars up here, going from a hotel to getting accommodation.
“Those are details that people can sometimes forget, but are really important to someone living properly at the football club and letting them just get on with the football.
“It is important, especially with us not being a central belt team.
“If someone was going from St Mirren to Motherwell, or Morton to Livingston, there’s not a lot that’s changing there.
“Coming up to the Highlands is a complete change for some Scottish players, never mind English players, so the quicker they settle the better.
“That’s something that I’m used to from my time in England, so we put a welcome pack together that goes to everyone immediately to cover those needs.
“Then we get the boys integrated. We weren’t able to get away in pre-season this year, which always helps, but we have been at the training ground a lot.
“The support staff play a really important role in that, because they make sure that the group becomes quickly integrated with each other.
“The ‘new at school’ feeling is done with in a day or two. It’s not easy when you come in and don’t know anybody, don’t know how to get to the training ground, don’t know people’s names or how it’s going to work.
“It’s important that they get arms put around them quickly and get integrated.”
Can Kyle Turner be a driving force in Ross County's midfield this season?
He's heading back to one of his old grounds as the Staggies face Stranraer in their #ViaplayCup opener 🦌@ViaplaySportsUK | @RossCounty
— SPFL (@spfl) July 11, 2023
Early transfers important for Mackay
County have added seven players to their squad for the season kick-off. In came defenders Josh Reid and James Brown, midfielders Scott Allardice, Kyle Turner, Max Sheaf, winger Jay Henderson and striker Eamonn Brophy.
It was swift and early work by Mackay and his backroom staff. And there will be at least one more defender to arrive – but it might happen later in the window.
Mackay is sure, as County get through their group games against Stranraer, Morton, Edinburgh City and Kelty Hearts, the players will all be up to speed ahead of the big Premiership kick-off on August 5 at champions Celtic.
He said: “Like every year, we have had to reshuffle in terms of players leaving and players arriving.
“It’s quite a lot to rebuild again, but nothing that we’ve not done in the past couple of years. It’s just the way it is.
“I’d love to add to a squad I’ve got and not lose any, but we’ve done business reasonably early, which I’m delighted about. It’s about them now settling into the group.
“Some are at different stages to others in terms of their sharpness, their fitness, but everyone will catch up.”
County beat Partick Thistle in an incredible three-goal and penalty shoot-out turnaround in the play-off final second leg on June 4, and have had reduced summer break as a result, with Mackay adding: “We’ve not even had three weeks off, so there has been the balance of allowing the players a chance to get a break, where they won’t have lost too much fitness, versus making sure they get some sort of pre-season where they are sharp and ready to go when the competitive game starts, which is on Saturday.
“I am delighted we got a couple of bounce games in before that, against Nairn County and Queen’s Park.”