Ross County's strong squad harmony makes life easy for settled defender Connor Randall in Dingwall
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Connor Randall thinks he is more settled at Ross County than at practically any other point in his career – and says his leadership role in the dressing room is made easy by the harmony in the squad.
The 27-year-old has had a stories career, spending time out on loan at Shrewsbury, Hearts and Rochdale while at boyhood club Liverpool.
After leaving Anfield permanently, he then spent a year in Bulgaria with Arda, eventually signing for the Staggies in 2020.
Randall has made himself at home in the Highlands, and this summer was named as part of the club's player leadership group alongside Ross Laidlaw and Jordan White behind captain Jack Baldwin.
“Obviously coming here, it was a long way from home, but I felt I settled quite quickly," Randall recalled.
“It is a club full of great people and there is a real family feel to the club. It’s a small group – and that’s what makes the club, the people.
“It is also a nice place to live and it has just clicked for me. I really enjoy it and I’m now probably the most settled I’ve been, the longest I’ve been anywhere since Liverpool, and if you’re settled off the pitch it plays a massive part on it.
“I think it is just a great group of lads, one of the best changing rooms I’ve been in during my time here.
“It is part of what the club is all about, so it isn’t a difficult dressing room to manage.
“Everyone is working for each other. Harmony off the pitch is massive in helping on the pitch.
“Any team that does well, in the main will have a good group of lads working together, and staff as well. We’ve got a group that is grafting for each other.”
The next test of Randall and co's solid start to the 2023/24 season comes on Sunday away at Aberdeen.
Pittodrie is the scene of one of the highlights of Randall's time with the Staggies – when they secured top six football at the end of the 2021/22 campaign.
Those who remain in Dingwall from that squad will undoubtedly be hoping for similar scenes of celebration this weekend, but the full back-turned-midfielder knows that is easier said than done.
“Especially away from home, it is tough against them," Randall reasoned.
“They haven’t had the greatest of starts, but we don’t read anything into that – they are a great team.
“They have a big squad full of quality players. We know how big a test it will be, but we’ll go through there and look to impose ourselves and hopefully get a positive result.
“You have good moments in certain places, good performances against certain teams, and you can look back and take a certain amount from it.
“There are now a lot of different players in both sides, but there are fond memories from being there and it is a place I always look forward to going to play at.
“Everyone is excited to go there on Sunday. It is a good ground to play at, but a very tough test.
“We’re confident we can go there and implement our plan, and hopefully come away with a good result.”
