Neil Tarrant had the world at his feet when the Ross County striker sealed a stunning move from Division Three to the English Premier League 25 years ago.
The Englishman’s 24 goals helped the Staggies, just three years into their senior Scottish league journey, win the Division Three title.
Now the club are mainstays in the Scottish Premiership, managed by Don Cowie, who was breaking through as a youth player when Tarrant was there.
Kept out of the County team by a certain lethal scorer called Derek Adams, after being snapped up by the late Neale Coooper in 1998, Darlington-born Tarrant had to bide his time with just three goals in his opening season in Dingwall.
His scoring exploits in Scotland’s fourth-tier the following year had scouts visit and Villa, who were then managed by John Gregory, tabled a £250,000 offer to land the player. It was a record fee for a club in Division Three.
He played just twice for Villa, both times from the bench, but being signed by the Birmingham side helped him appear on the Scotland under-21 radar as he racked up seven appearances thanks to his grandmother from Macduff.
Granny from Macduff opened the Scotland under-21 door for striker
With hindsight, Tarrant feels he might have better opted for a suitor lower down the chain when Ross County chairman Roy MacGregor’s phone was ringing with interest in 1999. But he’ll always appreciate the fact it happened, nonetheless.
He said: “The Villa move was massive at the time.
“It was brilliant for Ross County, who got a lot of money, but looking back 25 years later, it was just a step too far, too quickly perhaps. I was only 19.
“I went from playing in the Scottish Third Division to playing in the English Premier League against David Ginola and Paul Merson – it was a massive jump.
“Other clubs were interested in signing me. Mr MacGregor, the chairman, was very transparent during it all. He kept telling me who was interested.
“To Ross County, it was never about the money. They wanted the best deal for me, rather than who offered the most money.
“I should have taken a stepping-stone move to a lesser club than Villa.
“But, looking at it another way, the move opened so many doors for me.
“For example, I was doing well at Ross County and scoring goals, but I was never considered for Scotland under-21s.
“But as soon as I signed for Aston Villa, I got a phone call asking me to play for Scotland’s under-21s, which I was eligible for due to my grandmother being Scottish. She’s from Macduff. I was proud to have achieved that. I made seven appearances for the under-21s.
“As my career progressed, because I had been as Aston Villa, clubs were willing to have a look at me.
“In the end, I made two substitute appearances for Villa in the Premier League, so that’s something I can always tell my kids and grandkids.”
Ross County remains a family club
While Tarrant is proud to have made the switch to England’s top table, moving from Darlington to the Highlands remains a memorable period for the 45-year-old.
He said: “I loved every second of it.
“I had been at Darlington as a youth player, but I was released from there as I was about to start my professional contract, so I was a bit in limbo.
“The great Neale Cooper took a chance on me, he trusted me, and I never looked back.
“Of all the teams I’ve played for, Ross County are still the first team whose results I look out for.
“It’s 25 years ago since I played there and yet, in some ways, not much has changed.
“I mean that it remains a family club. I still follow them on Twitter, or X, and they still do a lot of good work in the community.
“We used to do that back in the day, but on a lesser scale than it is now. The pros at the club would go to schools and help out – it was brilliant.”
Trial game treble earned Tarrant deal
Tarrant, whose sole senior management gig was three years with Wearside League side Richmond Town from 2019, explained how a journey into the unknown for a trial game as a teenager in Inverness ended with a hat-trick and the offer of a chance to become a Staggies forward.
He said: “The move came through an agent up in Scotland. I lived in Darlington with my parents, and I got a call inviting me to play in a trial match against Clach at their Grant Street Park in Inverness on a Tuesday night. I said: ‘of course I will’.
“I didn’t even think about how far it was, or how long it would take to get there.
“It worked out well as I scored a hat-trick and that same night, the discussion took place that Ross County wanted to sign me. That all happened around about Christmas time.
“The move was great for me as it was my first taste of playing first-team football and having a proper crowd watching me play and cheering us on.
“We were a successful team, and it was everything I’d dreamt of.
“I have a son called Jaxon, who is 10 and football-mad. He’s always asking me about my time playing for County.
“I am so proud and privileged to talk about those really good times in football with my son. He can relate to it, so it’s brilliant.”
Derek Adams kept Tarrant waiting
Derek Adams, who has twice managed County, scored 56 goals as an attacker for the club over two periods. He moved to Motherwell in 1998, a club Tarrant had a brief loan spell at when at Villa.
Tarrant explained that patience was the key to his prolific second season at Victoria Park.
He said: “At first, I didn’t break into the team as Derek Adams was there and playing really well.
“I was mainly just a substitute, but that didn’t bother me.
“The following season, Derek had moved to Motherwell, so I got my opportunity.
“I just played that one full season for County when we won the Third Division, and at the end of that season, Villa came in for me.”
First goal in England came for York
Although he had to accept loan offers to get game-time when he was a Villa player, Tarrant still appreciates the experience he collected along the way.
He said: “I had successful loan spells when I was at Villa.
“I played a few games at Motherwell then Ayr United was a good period for me. We did really well in the cup, and I scored quite a few goals.
“York City was also a fond one for me. It was the club where I scored my first goal in professional football within English football.
“I had never played in English football until I’d gone on loan to York. I scored against Leyton Orient, I remember.”
Scoring a hat-trick in same game as Ferguson – but Tarrant kept the ball
Tarrant explained that former Staggies midfielder, and ex-co-boss and now current chief executive Steven Ferguson, played in one of his most memorable games for the side.
He said: “I played up front with Steven Ferguson.
“I remember we beat Albion Rovers 8-0 and Fergie and I both scored hat-tricks, but because I got my third goal before he did, I managed to keep the match ball.
“Don Cowie was one of the youth players coming through at the time.
“They had just introduced the youth scheme and Don was there, as was Steven Mackay, who’s doing really well at Brora, and Graham Munro – the club has some really talented youngsters.
“Because I was only 18 at the time, I kept in their company more, rather than the likes of experienced players like Billy Herd or Nicky Walker.”
Praise for Cowie and Ferguson
And he watches with interest to see County hold their own against Scotland’s best teams – a level they’ve been at for 11 of the past 12 seasons.
In May this year, after keeping the club in the top-flight via the play-offs, Cowie was handed the job on a permanent basis, replacing Adams.
Tarrant said: “What Don is doing as a manager is brilliant, and it all goes back to Roy MacGregor, the chairman.
“The club has always been willing to give the local lads a chance and help them progress from within.
“Fergie has been fantastic from when he finished his playing career.
“He knows the fans and the area, so it’s great he’s the chief executive now. He knows what makes people tick, so his appointment into that role was a no-brainer.
“Don has been with many big clubs (Watford, Cardiff City, Wigan Athletic and Hearts) played in the English Premier League.
“He has come back home to be a manager, which is brilliant. I love to see things like that.”
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