THIRD RATE
BORDER FOLLY KELLY’S MOVE LESSON County new boy Sean insists life in England is not all that it’s cracked up to be after his season with Wimbledon in League One
SEAN KELLY has seen the promised land and reckons it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.
Ross County’s first summer signing experienced a full season in England’s League One with Wimbledon after leaving boyhood club St Mirren last July.
But after 32 appearances and a 15th-placed finish in a league many Scottish players aspire to joining, Kelly jumped at the chance to end the adventure and return home with County.
The left-sided full-back or central defender has been reunited with former Buddies youth team-mate Jason Naismith in Dingwall having been won over by Jim McIntyre’s vision for the club.
Kelly, 23, found England’s third tier was far more direct and physical than some might expect.
He said: “It was an eye-opener. A lot of people go through their career looking for a move to England and wondering what it’s like down there.
“I’ve gone down there at quite a young age and can judge it against being up here. In the future, if anything was to happen, I’d have that experience to lean back on.
“I wouldn’t fall into the trap of thinking it is all glory or the Holy Grail to get down to England.
“Although it is a really good place, it’s not as glamorous as people think. People chase moves there when in reality, unless you’re a top Premier League player, it’s not that different from here in Scotland.”
Kelly, who worked under Neal Ardley at Wimbledon, reckons we are too ready talk down the Scottish game.
He said: “We do our game down a bit – a lot more than we should. With Celtic being superior for a few years now, we tend to play down the other teams because they’re not the same standard.
“The European aspect also
SEAN KELLY
goes against the top flight because not a lot of clubs are getting through the rounds.
“Hopefully this year we can see a lot more clubs get into Europe and help put the league back on the map a bit.”
Qualifying for European football is a long-term ambition of all connected to County. For now Kelly, who has joined on a two-year deal, just wants to do all he can to help them progress.
He said: “I’m glad to be back up the road and I’m looking forward to the season.
“I had another year left at Wimbledon if I wanted it but I knew Ross County were interested from early on. It was a good vibe for me they showed that interest so early.
“It just felt like the right move. The club seems to be ambitious in everything they have done in the last few years.
“They have also won a trophy, the League Cup, in the last couple of years which was massive for the club. If we can replicate something like that then it would be great. The gaffer was a big influence in me coming here. He just sold the club really well to me.”
McIntyre, who intends adding more new faces to his squad, said: “Sean is a very versatile player who broke into St Mirren’s first team at a young age, which probably says a lot about him.
“The fact he wanted to go to play in England and give that a try also shows his ambition.
“We were alerted to the possibility of getting him in and we moved on it early – it was done before the end of last season.”