Mark Reynolds didn't get as far as talking to Rangers about a move to the third division's big spenders, but heard enough about their interest to weigh up such a move.

Unlike Ian Black, Kevin Kyle, Dean Shiels and Francisco Sandaza, the 25-year-old centre-back was not ready to play out his peak years in the lower league and instead rejoined Aberdeen on loan from Sheffield Wednesday. If he has any regrets about the way it all worked out, they are around the fact that he was deemed surplus to requirements by the club he joined from Motherwell last year.

"Rangers are still a massive club," he said, "and I'm sure they will be back dominating Scottish football along with Celtic in years to come, but as a player you've got to sacrifice three years before you're back there playing in the SPL again.

"I don't know how concrete the interest was. It was mentioned to me and it was in the papers, but there was never any dialogue between me and the club so there was nothing for me to make a decision on."

His failure to be part of Wednesday's Championship plans was all part of football, he said, and he was satisfied with the explanation from Dave Jones, his manager, that he was too far down the pecking order. "Sometimes you get things that are out of your control," he added.

Reynolds looks certain to partner Russell Anderson at the heart of a sturdy-looking defence. "The manager [Craig Brown has made good moves in the close season," added Reynolds. "The width and creativity from Jonny Hayes and Niall McGinn is what the fans were crying out for last season. "Now we've certainly got that and the squad is a lot stronger. The real ambition is to grab that second spot in the league and I think that's a realistic aim.Everyone is giving the title to Celtic and expecting them to run away with it. They might or they might not, but with the squad we've got here there's no reason we can't finish up there amongst it.

"It's certainly within our grasp. If we don't finish higher [than last season] and we don't do well then questions should be asked."

Brown was steadfast in his refusal to reveal whether Jamie Langfield, whose goalkeeping blunder allowed Celtic to take full points at Parkhead a week ago, would retain his place.

Derek Adams, the Ross County manager, returns to the club he twice played for looking to continue a 36-match unbeaten run that started on the second day of last season.

"I started off there as a 16-year-old. It is a good club and a good upbringing, the right coaching and the right values. I always liked going back as a player but going back as a manager will be special," he said.

"We take that [unbeaten record] into the game and would love to keep that run going. They [Aberdeen] come off a good performance against Celtic, losing to a freak goal, and we will see what kind of game transpires."

Ross County's first season in the top division began with a 0-0 draw at home to Motherwell. "We were delighted to take the point because at home, against a team like Motherwell, it was always going to be difficult, but we are on the road now.

"We are quite a good counter-attacking team at times and I think away from home that can help.

"We need to be strong, we need to be defensively sound and we have to have a platform to play on. That was important last week. Hopefully we can continue to create chances."

Stuart Kettlewell, the County midfielder, serves the last match of a suspension but Adams will take the rest of his squad to Aberdeen, where a crowd of 15,000 is expected for the Sell-out Saturday campaign.