Ross County’s De Leeuw: We must stay up for fans

MELVIN de Leeuw believes the Ross County players must retain Scottish Premiership status for loyal Staggies fans who will be at Global Energy stadium long after the current squad has gone.

Ross County manager Derek Adams. Picture: Greg Macvean

County’s battling 2-1 home win over Kilmarnock last week took Derek Adams’ side out of the relegation play-off spot and into ninth place.

However, they are only one point better off than 11th-placed Killie and one behind seventh-placed St Mirren, whom they visit on Saturday.

De Leeuw said: “You play for the club, the fans and for yourself but at the end, the players leave the club and the fans stay so we must do our best to stay in this league.

“This game is going to be bigger than last week.

“Last week is away now and Saturday can be a six-point game, if you win you can look forward.

“That is what we are going for. I don’t talk about losing. We must go at them. It is a relegation battle.

“Everybody in the team knows what they have to do.

“We got a lot of chances last Saturday but if we play smarter and are not nervous, then I think we will get more goals.

“That’s what we need to do on Saturday, if we get a chance we must take it.”

The Dutchman’s season has been blighted with injury but he is still County’s top scorer with eight goals and he intends to stay at the top of the charts, although not to the detriment of the team.

The 26-year-old said: “Everybody wants to be at the top of the list and we make jokes about it.

“I am still there but I want to get more goals for Ross County.

“It is good that all the players want to score but you must do it as a team and not for yourself.”