Leadership group inside Ross County changing room have vital role to play alongside Staggies staff, says manager Malky Mackay
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Malky Mackay says Ross County's new leadership team have an important role to play in helping new signings acclimatise to life in Dingwall.
Jack Baldwin has been confirmed as the new Staggies skipper, replacing Keith Watson who left at the end of last season, while Ross Laidlaw has been named vice-captain.
Connor Randall had worn the armband for the first half of County's pre-season friendly against Nairn, and Mackay also says he will be a leading figure in the changing room alongside the likes of Jordan White – particularly after other departures like Alex Iacovitti and David Cancola.
They, coupled with the relatively small workforce behind the scenes in Dingwall, are vital in making sure new faces at the club settle in as quickly as possible according to Mackay.
"Keith, Alex and David were three men who were really good ambassadors for our football club," he explained.
"We've lost them, and 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 headed up by Fiona MacBean it's really important for youngsters coming up.
"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. 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 small 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 gone within 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, so it's important that they get arms put around them quickly and get integrated."
Mackay has already said how pleased he is to get a significant chunk of County's transfer business done early in the window, and he feels that has helped the Staggies be as prepared as they can be for the start of the competitive 2023/24 season this weekend.
He has also detailed where he feels his squad may need more depth, but he is happy to bide his time to wait for the final pieces of his puzzle.
"We're as ready as everyone else," Mackay stressed.
"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.
"Some are at different stages to others in terms of their sharpness, their fitness, but everyone will catch up.
"We're looking to see whether we can bring one more or so in. The fact we've done our business early means there are still seven weeks left of the transfer window.
"Certainly, with the English market, teams are not at the same stage and after two or three weeks players will take their time to decide whether they want to leave clubs or not."
