New midfielder Chris Hamilton has admitted he was shocked by the scale of Ross County after joining the club this summer. The 25-year-old was one of 11 new arrivals at the Global Energy Stadium as the Staggies built their squad for the League One campaign.

Hamilton, who was released by Dunfermline Athletic, has nearly 250 career appearances and won the League One title in 2023. He told the Ross-shire Journal that his first impressions of the club were eye-opening. "The day I signed, I was shown around and I was shocked to be honest," Hamilton said. He added, "It’s a much bigger club than I thought it was from the outside to be honest."

Academy facilities impress

The tour included the Highland Football Academy, where Hamilton saw the gym and training pitches. That visit helped convince him of the club's ambition and professional setup. His early weeks in Dingwall also involved community work, with visits to local primary schools.

His integration was delayed, however, by an IT band injury that ruled him out of every pre-season match. That setback meant he had to build his fitness while his new teammates prepared for the competitive action.

County's strong league start

Ross County have made a solid start to the season despite Hamilton's absence, sitting second in League One with 13 points from five games. Their record shows four wins, one draw and no defeats in the league, putting them three points behind leaders Hamilton Academical. The team has scored 12 goals and conceded just four in the league, giving them a healthy goal difference of plus eight.

Recent results have been mixed, with the last five matches in all competitions yielding two wins, one draw and two losses. They suffered a 3-0 home defeat to Hibernian last weekend, but had previously drawn 2-2 with East Fife in the league.

Looking ahead to Peterhead

The focus now turns to maintaining their promotion push. The next fixture is a home match against Peterhead on 7 November. Peterhead currently sit seventh in the table, making it an important opportunity for County to collect points.

For Hamilton, the immediate goal is to finally make his debut and contribute to that push. With his injury behind him, he is available for selection as manager Don Cowie considers his options. The squad's depth, including the summer signings, is reflected in the club's squad page. Hamilton's experience and title-winning pedigree could prove valuable as County aim to close the gap at the top.

The original report is at Ross-shire Journal