Derek Adams’ first transfer window since returning to Ross County is upon him – with the Staggies boss active in his pursuit of fresh faces.
Adams was appointed for a third time at Victoria Park in November, succeeding Malky Mackay in the post.
He has already made it clear he is in the market to bolster his squad, having had just over a month to assess the players he has at his disposal.
During his second stint at Dingwall, Adams guided the Staggies to promotion to the Scottish Premier League – now the Premiership – for the first time in the club’s history.
He took charge of two full top-flight campaigns, before leaving in 2014.
During those two seasons Adams was no stranger to the January market, signing a total of 12 players across both mid-season windows.
On both occasions it sparked an upturn in form, with the Staggies going on to finish fifth and seventh respectively.
Adams recently spoke of his preference for recruiting players on short-term contracts, which appears to be backed up by his historic January business.
Only four players – Ivan Sproule, Branislav Micic, Filip Kiss and Yoann Arquin – remained at Victoria Park beyond the summer that followed their initial six-month stay.
Evangelos Ikonomou and Erik Cikos would subsequently return to Dingwall for second spells.
Many of the January signings from this period remain highly regarded by the Staggies’ support – regardless of how fleeting their stay in the Highlands was.
Here, we look at the impact made by Adams’ previous January reinforcements.
January 2013
Ivan Sproule
Appearances: 24
Goals: 8
Already a well-known quantity in Scottish football as a result of two spells with Hibernian, winger Sproule was brought in to inject pace to the Staggies’ forward line. The Northern Irishman made a superb start to his Staggies career, with a debut double in a 4-1 win against St Mirren, and going on to end the campaign on six goals.
Sproule remained in Dingwall beyond the summer and went on to net another two goals in the following campaign, but did not take to the field again after being sent off in a 2-1 loss to St Mirren in November that year. He soon sealed a switch back to his homeland, joining Linfield.
Andre Hainault
Appearances: 8
Goals: 1
Canadian defender Hainault had trained with the Staggies early on in the window, having left MLS side Houston Dynamo. Adams was sufficiently impressed to offer Hainault a contract until the end of the season, although work permit complications threatened to derail the deal.
Hainault initially struggled to force his way into the Staggies’ defence, but went on to start in all five of the Staggies’ post-split fixtures.
His most memorable moment was his last act in a County jersey, as he netted the winning goal in a final-day Highland derby victory against Caley Thistle. Although he was offered a new contract, Hainault opted to join German outfit VfR Aalen.
Evangelos Oikonomou (first spell)
Appearances: 18
Defender Oikonomou joined the Staggies after negotiating his release from Atromitos – a move which was made easier for the Dingwall side to complete due to Greece’s unstable economy at the time. After joining the Staggies, Oikonomou spoke of being given sold on a move to Scotland by compatriot Georgios Samaras who was then with Celtic.
Oikonomou wasted no time in making an impact, making his debut in a 4-1 triumph away to St Mirren before going on to play every game at left back in the remainder of the campaign. Although he was offered a new deal to remain at Victoria Park, he opted to return to his homeland with Veria.
Steffen Wohlfarth
Appearances: 16
Goals: 3
German attacker Wohlfarth arrived from SV Wehen Wiesbaden, with the move to Dingwall linking him up with former Freiburg team-mate Mark Fotheringham. Two years prior to joining the Staggies, Wohlfarth had been on the books of Bayern Munich, playing for the club’s reserve side which competed in the third-tier of German football.
Wohlfarth’s initial 10 appearances for County came from the substitutes’ bench, but included a memorable late winner in a 3-2 victory over Celtic.
In his first start for the Highlanders, Wohlfarth netted a double against Hearts – including a stunning opening goal – but was unable to prevent the Staggies falling to a 4-2 defeat at Tynecastle.
Adams was keen to keep Wohlfarth at the club for the following campaign, but instead he chose to return to Germany with FV Ravensburg.
Branislav Micic
Appearances: 11
Swiss defender Micic was signed from FC Sion towards the end of the window, initially on a deal until the end of the season.
A shoulder injury curtailed his involvement for the remainder of the campaign, with his only appearance coming from the bench in a 2-2 draw against St Johnstone, in which he had to be withdrawn after just 27 minutes.
Adams, nevertheless, saw promise in the Serbian-born defender, taking up the option of a one-year extension that summer. Micic was part of the first choice backline for the opening three matches of the new campaign before coming out of the side. He played a further seven matches, in what was a difficult opening period of the campaign, before being released at the end of the January 2014 window.
January 2014
Jordan Slew
Appearances: 20
Goals: 1
English forward Slew was drafted in on loan from Blackburn Rovers – who had paid £1.1 million to sign him from Sheffield United – just hours after the transfer window opened. His arrival came in time for a New Year’s Day game away to Caley Thistle. Slew made an immediate impact, having a hand in both goals as County triumphed 2-1 to end a run of five successive defeats at Caledonian Stadium in the derby fixture.
At 6ft 3in, Slew brought physical presence to the Staggies’ frontline, starting all but three matches in the remainder of that campaign. His only goal came in his final appearance, in a 3-2 victory away to Partick Thistle which sealed a seventh placed finish. Slew would later go on to link up with Adams again at Plymouth Argyle and Morecambe.
Michael Tidser
Appearances: 16
Midfielder Tidser was a bright Scottish prospect, with his sparkling form for Championship side Morton having earned a move to Rotherham United in summer 2013. He struggled to break into the Millers side in the opening half of that campaign however, with all but five of his 16 appearances coming from the bench.
That paved the way for a loan switch to Dingwall midway through the campaign. Tidser made his debut from the bench in a 1-0 victory against St Johnstone, before going on to start the following 15 matches, coinciding with an upturn in form which sealed Premiership survival.
Evangelos Oikonomou (second spell)
Appearances: 15
After only six months with Veria, Oikonomou opted to return for a second spell in Dingwall, insisting it felt like home during his stint the previous year.
Although he once again established a regular place in the Staggies’ side, making 15 appearances, Oikonomou’s second spell in the Highlands was another short-lived one as he opted to return to Greece again in the summer, earning a move to Panionios.
Filip Kiss
Appearances: 50
Goals: 6
Slovakian midfielder Kiss made a swashbuckling impact after joining on loan from Cardiff City, netting a double on his debut in a 3-3 draw with Partick Thistle, before following it up with another brace in a 3-0 win over Dundee United.
After ending the campaign with six goals in 17 appearances, Adams was only too happy to bring Kiss back on a season-long loan deal during the summer. Although Adams left in September, Kiss went on to make 33 appearances during the campaign, which saw him break into the Slovakia national team.
Yoann Arquin
Appearances: 35
Goals: 6
France-born Arquin, who represented the Martinique national team, initially arrived on trial. The Staggies were able to complete a deal to sign him from Notts County, in time for him to net a debut goal in a 3-0 victory over Dundee United.
Arquin finished the campaign with four goals in 16 matches before signing a contract extension in the summer. He made a further 19 appearances the following campaign, netting twice, before being released early in the 2015 January transfer window.
Arquin subsequently joined Premiership rivals St Mirren – ironically making his debut in a game against the Staggies at Victoria Park in which he was red carded after just 38 minutes.
Yann Songo’o
Appearances: 17
Goals: 3
Cameroonian defender Songo’o joined Blackburn Rovers team-mate Slew in joining the Staggies on loan. After making his debut in a 3-0 win over Dundee United, the powerhouse defender went on to score in his next two games against Hearts and Kilmarnock, with a further goal in a 2-1 loss to Motherwell later in the campaign.
Songo’o’s stint in Dingwall was the start of a long association with Adams, with the pair having worked together on a further four occasions in spells at Plymouth Argyle, Bradford City and Morecambe.
Erik Cikos
Appearances: 21
Cikos was Adams’ final piece of business in the transfer window, joining on loan from Slovan Bratislava shortly before the deadline. The right back impressed in 14 appearances for the Staggies, during which time he was rewarded with his debut for the Slovakian national team.
Although he managed to break into the Slovan Bratislava side after his loan expired, Cikos rejoined the Staggies for a second spell in 2016 by which time Jim McIntyre was in charge. He made just seven appearances however, departing County six months later before joining Italian outfit SS Monopoli.
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