Ronan Hale is drawing inspiration from boyhood hero Liam Boyce in his efforts to thrive at Ross County.
Irishman Hale netted his fourth goal since joining from Cliftonville earlier this summer, with his late equaliser securing a 1-1 draw against Dundee United on Saturday.
Hale arrived on a three-year deal following a hugely successful two-year spell with the Reds, where he netted 50 goals in 80 appearances.
The 25-year-old’s switch to Dingwall came a decade after Boyce made the same move between the two clubs.
Boyce went on to net 55 goals in three seasons to become the Staggies’ fourth-highest scorer since they joined the Scottish league setup in 1994. He joined Burton Albion in 2017, and now plays for Premiership rivals Hearts, having claimed 28 Northern Ireland caps.
Hale, a boyhood Cliftonville fan, has fond memories of watching Boyce in action for the Reds and hopes to emulate some of his success.
Hale said: “Liam Boyce was one of my favourite players at Cliftonville growing up.
“I watched him every week and I have heard about what he did coming here and it’s exciting for me being another Irish lad coming over.
“I’ve got that attribute where I am kind of naturally fit, so it’s more getting up to game speed because it’s a different tempo over here compared to back home.
“But fortunately I’ve hit the ground running and scored four goals. Now I am looking forward to the future.”
Striker in confident mood
Hale made a flying start to his County career with three goals in his opening two games in the Premier Sports Cup, with the equaliser against United opening his league account for the Staggies.
He insists his confidence is sky-high, having signed off from his time at Cliftonville by scoring twice in their Irish Cup victory over Linfield in May.
Hale added: “That’s four goals now, which is brilliant for a striker coming to a new team.
“It was one of them where I didn’t know anyone in the team and it was more about getting the confidence, and I have shown that.
“Now, after getting a few goals, I am looking forward to building on it.
“That was my first 90 minutes since I won the Irish Cup, and it was great to get it in the legs to build on over the next couple of weeks.”
Ross County looking to build on encouraging start
Hale’s goal ensures Don Cowie’s men remain unbeaten in their opening six matches in all competitions this season, with two points from their opening two league fixtures.
He is determined to build on the encouraging start, adding: “That’s what you want to show, that never-say-die attitude. We also had chances in the second half and luckily Alex Samuel picked me out.
“But it’s a point that we’ll build on.
“It’s never easy when you go behind, especially against a good team who had a gameplan.
“We could have won, but we’ll take the point which we deserved.
“It’s one of them where you pick up a point when you can – and it’s still no losses under our belt.”
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