No soft sell for midfielder as he hears hard facts

Friday 14 September 2012

The sales pitch is likely still ringing in his ears.

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Martin McMillan

Mark Fotheringham yesterday signed a contract with Ross County which will run through to the end of the season but the midfielder was not so much sounded out about the move as he was berated for being available to the Highland club at all.

The former Norwich City and Freiburg player has been a free agent since the end of last season as his career stuttered. Brief spells with Livingston and Dundee followed his return to Scotland after a season in Cyprus with Anorthosis Famagusta, before now alighting at County.The move will have appealed as it allowed Fotheringham to be reunited with George Adams, his youth coach at Celtic and now director of football at County, but discussions between the pair over a contract proved to be frank and pointed."I have known George and Derek Adams [the County manager] since I was 10, said Fotheringham, whose new side face Dundee United tonight. "I think George is probably the best one to speak to about my career and where it stands."When we talked, he basically gave me a rollicking. He said I should have been sitting at Ibrox, Celtic Park or one of the big teams in Europe having a chat about my future. I accept what he says, but I am where I am. I can't change the past. It is nobody's fault but my own."In my opinion, there are few better places for me to play right now than here because the lads are all mucking in for each other. George is basically saying this is a rebirth for me. He says 'go and get on the ball, make things tick and show what you can do'."He believes in me but I get a rollicking because he is disappointed at where I am in my career. I'm disappointed as well at times, but this is a great chance for me now."He will have to wait before he can make the most of it, though. Derek Adams will not throw Fotheringham in against United, and neither will he have Derek Riordan available. The former Hibernian striker had been training with County in recent weeks but the Dingwall manager has now ended his interest in trying to sign him."Concerning Derek Riordan, that one's dead – and that's all I will say," said Adams. "But we are delighted to welcome Mark here. Over the summer, he has been across in Germany on trial with Wolfsburg and Hoffenheim, so you can see the pedigree."He hasn't played for a wee bit this season, but he is fit and has enjoyed a good pre-season in Germany. He will be ready to go once we get him some game time next week."Concerning the match with United, Adams already has previous – scoring twice for County to knock the Tayside club out of the League Cup 14 years ago. The Highland side have not repeated that success since."I managed to score twice and Tommy MacLean lost his job the next day," said Adams, who is without Joe Malin and Alex Cooper this evening. "It is time we won again."

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No soft sell for midfielder as he hears hard facts

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