The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Stewart’s pressure point
Ross County: Striker up for second season challenge as hunger for goals grows STAGGIES:NEWKITSUNVEILEDAS LOCALFIRMSTARTSSPONSORSHIP
Ross County forward Ross Stewart is challenging himself to deliver an even better season following his successful step up to the Premiership last term.
Stewart enjoyed a clean sweep of the Staggies’ player of the year awards earlier this month, after netting 11 goals in the first six months of last season.
A hamstring injury thwarted Stewart’s hopes of adding to his tally prior to the coronavirus shutdown, however the 23-year-old feels he has plenty to build on when the new Premiership season kicks off as expected in August.
Stewart said: “It’s going to be another season where I put pressure on myself to try and do better than I did in the previous campaign.
“To miss such a long spell through injury and then coronavirus, it was down to me to get my fitness levels back to where I know they can be.
“Hopefully, with the longer pre-season Ross County now has in place for us up here, I can do that and be ready to go when the new season starts.
“Hopefully, as a team, we can do what we did at the start of last season, because we started really well.”
Stewart was brought to Dingwall by the previous joint management team of Stuart Kettlewell and Steven Ferguson in 2018, when he made the switch from St Mirren.
Although Kettlewell is now solely in charge, Stewart credits the comanagers with preparing him for his first top-flight campaign last term.
Stewart added: “The managers, as they were at the time, played a huge part in it.
“They got me to believe in myself and what I was capable of, and brought my confidence to a level where I was going out on the park feeling comfortable that I was capable of doing what I was brought to the club to do.”
County are searching for a new captain after Marcus Fraser turned down a new deal, and Stewart reckons the defender will be a major loss to the Staggies.
Stewart added: “Marcus leaving is a big loss to the club. He was the captain and a big character in about the dressing room.”
Ross County have launched their new home and away kits with local firm RossShire Engineering becoming the Staggies’ new shirt sponsors.
County have agreed a six-figure club and community sponsorship package with RSE, who work within the UK water treatment sector.
More than half of the company’s 850-strong workforce is based in Ross-shire, with the engineering firm to support the club’s community initiatives as part of the agreement.
RSE replace McEwan Fraser, who have sponsored the Staggies’ kits for the last two seasons.
RSE managing director Allan Dallas said: “The Highlands is an important part of our company’s heritage and will continue to be in the years to come.
“We have long admired the ambitions of the club and particularly its huge impact across the Highlands where it reaches thousands of families per year with its initiatives. Our sponsorship should support the club to continue to reach these communities.”
Midfielders Harry Paton and Josh Mullin displayed the home kit, while Ross Stewart and Tom Grivosti unveiled the predominantly white and sky blue away kit.