Everton defender Eli Campbell is targeting up to 30 Ross County appearances during his loan spell from the English Premier League club this season.
The 20-year-old is confident he will learn and adapt to the challenges thrown at him in the Scottish Premiership as Dundee come calling this afternoon.
Campbell, who represented England at under-18 level, played a dozen times on loan at Fleetwood Town last term, having also featured for Everton’s under-21s.
Prior to the international break, he came off the bench for the final 10 minutes of the last-gasp 1-0 defeat by Aberdeen for his first taste of action in Scotland.
Experiences ‘fuel you for the future’
Campbell said: “I like how competitive the Scottish Premiership is.
“It is a good standard with a good intensity and it’s a great place for me to develop and improve.
“I want to develop and learn from the style of play, technical aspects of the game, and the patterns of play, building from the back.
“Everything that you learn every day in football goes into what you do on a Saturday.
“I have played 12 games in senior football and if I can get another 25-30, it will take me up another 10-20%.
“There’s also the intensity, physicality and the crowds. That sticks with you. When you have these opportunities, you remember those times. You can use that to fuel you for the future.”
‘Adapting rather than developing’
Campbell, who trained under Inverness manager Duncan Ferguson when put through his paces with Everton’s first-team squad, is relishing the chance to measure up to the best players in Scotland’s highest division.
He said: “It’s different playing under-21 football compared to senior football.
“You’re playing against bigger, stronger and smarter people. It is more about adapting to that rather than developing.
“I have played a lot of games at under-21 level, and I have played a few games at senior level. You do feel the difference.”
‘Football is an art’ – Campbell
The chance to lock horns with champions Celtic and their Old Firm rivals Rangers this season, especially in Glasgow, appeals to Campbell.
He added: “I can’t wait for the games at Celtic Park or Ibrox in front of big crowds. It’s something I’m not used to.
“But it’s a challenge, and I like challenges, so I’m looking forward to it.
“I’ve been told by people who mentor me that football is an art, and you have to showcase and express what you can do.
“I want to show what I can do in front of 50,000 rather than 1,000. It is something you look forward to as a footballer.”
‘We’re there to stop’ clinical Dundee
County have two points from their first four games and face a sixth-placed and unbeaten Dundee team, who have scored nine goals and leaked seven.
It’s the first of two successive home game for County, with St Johnstone heading north next week.
As the Staggies aim for their first league win, Campbell is confident they can get the balance right against Tony Docherty’s Dark Blues.
He said: “We have scorers who can win games, but we also have defenders who love to defend.
“Dundee are free scoring, but we’re there to stop them.”
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