Ex-Wycombe Wanderers striker Alex Samuel could leave Ross County this month, admits Malky Mackay
Malky Mackay has refused to rule out a move away from Ross County for Alex Samuel this month.
The striker has returned to training after a cruciate ligament injury that kept him on the sidelines for three quarters of 2022.
He had made six appearances after signing a two-year deal the previous summer, and has been working hard on the long road back to fitness.
Mackay knows exactly how difficult that journey can be, having gone through a similar process in his own playing days, so appreciates that when Samuel is ready, minutes on the park will be the most important thing.
“I’m just delighted he has boots on and is out training," Mackay said of the Welshman.
“During the week, he had one where he was clattered and I was thinking ‘wooah!’ – he was tested, but he probably needed it.
“He has done certain rigorous tests 100 times or else he wouldn’t be allowed into the training games, but it is just the mental side of someone like Alex Iacovitti having a kick at you, which is not something anybody would enjoy!
“Fingers crossed he just keeps progressing on an upwards curve because it goes back to someone’s life and the ability to play football again, to be walking about without a limp for the rest of your life.
“I still put my head in my hands every time I see it on the telly. I’ve been there myself and I’ve witnessed so many have to go through it.
“All being equal, you come back from it and play another 10 years, but it is a long, hard road. There are times Alex has worked so hard in that gym, all on his own.
“He’s a good boy and he has done great to get back – what's next is up to him. It might be one where a loan spell might be ideal, but I’ll talk to him about that near the end of January.
"When someone has been out for the best part of a year, it is going to be difficult, but we'll see what January brings and gauge what's best for him towards the end of January."
Potential for new arrivals?
The Staggies have already done one piece of business, signing goalkeeper Ross Laidlaw up for another couple of years earlier today.
Mackay had also previously alluded to wanting more new recruits to continue shaping his squad, but the January window is never an easy one to do significant deals in.
"You look at young players coming out of big clubs, and invariably summer is the time to do that," he reasoned.
"Then you have time to ease them in gently, because bringing someone in and getting them to hit the ground running is not an easy thing to do.
"Everybody is looking for an experienced player in January that isn't going to play for their club, and hasn't just got six months left on their contract – because if they do, the club either aren't letting them out or they're selling them, and we're not going to buy people.
"We'd be looking for someone that isn't going to be in the manager's plans until the end of the season, but is good enough to play in the Premiership. They're not growing on trees.
"It's easy to ask why we're not going and getting five players in during January, but you could go and get five players in straight away, and they would be in here a week before we realise they're not good enough.
"They would sit on the bench, so I've got to try and do my best for the football club and not be frivolous with money.
"I would be crazy to say we're going to bring someone in who would be an immediate starter, because they're not easy to find, but anyone that comes in has got to be able to contribute and come on from the bench and freshen things up.
"Everyone in the country is looking for a centre forward, but there are very few around. We're hard at it, Enda (Barron) is hard at it at the moment, but it's about teams looking at what they've got and who they will let out.
"You're looking for someone who's not going to get into a reasonable team's squad purely because they want to invest and bring in even better players, and they have a good guy and a good pro that won't quite get in at that level but still wants to go and play games.
"There's all of that criteria attached to what we want, and we're hunting for those people because they are out there, but it's a big task ahead."
