Ross County strikers unified in pursuit of glory with Staggies just one win away from return to Hampden Park in League Cup
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Once again, Alex Samuel has had to be patient for his opportunity at Ross County this season – but he will be the biggest cheerleader he can be for his striking rivals while sitting on the substitutes' bench.
The 28-year-old Welshman's battle back from a cruciate ligament last season has been well-documented, but what was not so well known was that he picked up a knock in the play-off final against Partick Thistle that proved troublesome into this season.
With Jordan White and Simon Murray appearing to nail down the starting spots in attack in the meantime, and Eamonn Brophy returning to Dingwall on a permanent deal, Samuel's minutes have once again been limited.
In fact, his cameo against Aberdeen last Sunday was just his second league appearance of the season.
While naturally frustrating, Samuel has been pleased to see his rivals doing well on the pitch – and he says the attacking options have a close bond that helps them each remain supportive of each other through good and bad.
“It has been frustrating – I rolled my ankle really badly in the last game against Partick Thistle and I don’t know how I managed to carry on," he recalled.
“That went into the new season, but once you go through an ACL injury, everything else seems like pretty much nothing, really.
“It has just been about keeping myself fit, training well and when the opportunity comes to have a good few minutes, I’ll be there ready.
“The strikers have been doing well and Simon Murray has been on fire – and you respect that.
“We’re a team, so when one striker is doing well you praise them and build them up because it benefits the whole team. You have to be supportive and, when your chance comes, take it.
“Last season, I was playing a lot and doing well, and Simon, Eamonn and Jordan were all backing me and behind me. That’s the bond we have.”
Having started the season well, the Staggies were brought back down to earth when they lost 4-0 against Aberdeen last weekend.
Samuel, though, thinks it could play into Ross County's favour that a rematch is coming so soon – especially given the Dons also had European exploits to contend with last week.
“It was one of those games where we knew we were under par, we weren’t at it – and sometimes you have those games," he explained.
“It is a good wake-up call for us. It reminds us we have to keep doing what we’ve been doing well this season so far.
“It is how we react now, and to be fair if there is anyone we want to play so soon after Sunday, it is Aberdeen at our turf because it is the perfect opportunity to put it right.
“They have had Frankfurt, then us, then us again at our turf. It is a great opportunity for us to put our foot on the pedal and get a result.
“It’s a one-off game with the winner going to Hampden. I’ve played at Wembley and some good stadia, but I’ve never played at Hampden, so for me personally and a lot of the boys, we’d love to tick that off.
"To be one game away from that is fantastic. We saw Kilmarnock last year do it and it is there for us, so it is just about dusting off Sunday’s result and doing the right job on Wednesday.”
