Staggies exit still rankles with Joe, the Honest Man
Joe Chalmers remains baffled by his dramatic fall from grace at Ross County – but retains a hunger to return to the Premiership.
Still hurt by his sharp exit from the Staggies last October, the former Motherwell and Caley Thistle midfielder helped keep Ayr United in the Championship on Friday night.
Chalmers’ class was there for all to see as he set up Josh Todd’s crucial equaliser to keep the Honest Men just above the play-off spot.
With another year in his contract committed to Somerset Park, the 27-year-old is hoping the ambition of manager David Hopkin and chairman David Smith will see them competing at the opposite end of the table next season.
At County, he was a star signing from rivals Caley Thistle in summer 2019 and impressed in the first half of that season. But he never kicked a ball again in 2020 before grabbing a two-year deal with Ayr last autumn.
Chalmers said: “I still get frustrated thinking about having to leave County.
“I really enjoyed my time there. Contrary to what some people think, I never actually wanted to leave.
“I loved it up in the Highlands, we had our house and the family were settled. I never properly understood why I fell from favour, and that’s the frustrating part.
“It’s done now, but I want to play in the Premiership – I’m good enough to play there.
“I’m 27 and there’s still plenty of time to get back there and who is to say I can’t achieve that with Ayr United?
“The new chairman is ambitious and is putting a lot of good plans in place.”
Ayr secured safety by the skin of their teeth on goal difference after matching Morton’s solitary point picked up at Arbroath.
Chalmers added: “We’ve underachieved this season, given the quality we have.
“Mark Kerr brought me in and was another massive reason why I came to Ayr. I wanted to play for him and he’s a brilliant guy. Him leaving hit all the boys hard.
“But the new manager has shown he’s a top guy and has been trying to organise us.
“It can’t have been easy coming in at that stage to steady the ship and try to teach us things, but it is a fresh start next season.”