Adams brings ex-manager Cooper back to County

Former manager Neale Cooper has returned to Ross County as assistant manager to Derek Adams. The ex-Aberdeen and Rangers player spent six years at the helm of the Highland club between 1996 and 2002. He was most recently in charge at Hartlepool United, where he had a couple of spells as manager.

Adams was pleased to see Cooper back at the Dingwall outfit as part of a restructuring of the backroom team. He told the club’s website: “We’ve got a small staff at Ross County and it is vital that we have a structure in place and have the right 
people to take the players, team and the club forward.

“Neale is someone that I’ve known for a number of years and, having had him join us for a couple of days of training, it was obvious his qualities complemented what we already had in place here, so I’m delighted that he’s agreed to join us.”

Cooper will be in the dugout for today’s Clydesdale Bank Premier League match against Dundee United. The visit of the Tayside club is the first of two back-to-back home fixtures for County, with St Mirren making the trip north midweek, and Adams is keen to make home advantage count. He said: “We’ve been on our travels for eight out of 14 games in the SPL and we’ve got two home games now. Dundee United are a very good side [with] excellent attacking players. We’re in for an exciting match.”