REGAN CHARLES-COOK has thanked Ross County for helping him flourish into the top scorer in the Scottish Premiership this season.
The Staggies attacker is enjoying the best form of his career to date and yesterday he netted his tenth goal of the current campaign to help his side to a point against champions Rangers.
Charles-Cook looked full of confidence throughout as he caused the Ibrox backline problems all game and the 24-year-old admits he is loving life in the Highlands after a tough first season north of the border.
“I came up here and I didn’t know where Ross County was. They have brought me in with open arms and looked after me," he explained.
“I have to give everyone here, from the top to the bottom of the club, all the credit. It was a tough season last year, but to still put their hand around me and show how much belief they have in me, I’m happy to be rewarding them in some way.
“I had always been living at home, and always been at clubs near home. I moved away and didn’t see my family for nine months straight because of the pandemic.
“I was not allowed to go out with the boys and I was basically isolated in my household until I got on the football pitch, and as soon as I got off the football pitch.
“I didn’t really get to bond or get to know any of the boys. This year is different. We still take precautions because of Covid, but it’s a whole different factor.
“The bond we take off the pitch is now being brought on to the pitch. We pick each other up and it’s a great dressing room.”
Charles-Cook was delighted that teammate Matthew Wright popped up with a 95th-minute leveller to ensure Malky Mackay’s side took something from the end-to-end Premiership encounter.
He continued: “It’s nice to find out the news I’m the top goalscorer. Most importantly, I’m buzzing we got a point we got point from the game as we worked so hard. We never gave up.
“We knew they were going to come out strong in the second half, but the character took us over. I’m so proud of the boys.
“We went 2-1 up leading into the break. We knew Rangers were going to come out firing, they went high and started to play aggressive.
“They scored the two goals, but we never gave up. I looked at all the boys, and in the Ross County dressing room we just don’t give up.
“In three games against them, we have scored two plus goals. It shows the firepower we have to score goals.”
County took advantage of some sloppy defending from Rangers to gain the well-earned point and Charles-Cook has revealed how the Highlanders were prepared to gamble from the off.
He added: “We knew it was windy. We spoke before the game about how we had to gamble.
“For the first goal their goalkeeper made an error, and Jordan has gambled. For the second goal Jordan headed the ball and I have gambled, and we got our rewards from it.
“The manager tells the front three to hit the box and gamble. He has implemented that from the start and I think that’s a big part of why I have scored a lot of goals. All credit to him too.
“It’s a bit deflating when you lose a lead like that, but we quickly got over that. It’s what the manager has implemented in the squad. There is no disappointment, we go again and that came out in this game.
“Before the game he does a preview of how he wants us to play, and a big word before this game was character, as well as aggressiveness. We showed that.”
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