Whenever a new manager takes charge at a club one of the first things he wants to do is strike the right note with his first signing for his team. Maurice Malpas certainly sent out the right signals when he managed to secure the signing of young striker Ross McCormack from Rangers.
While Maurice's tenure ultimately ended unsuccessfuly, Ross eventually came good and in some style too.
Despite being just 19, McCormack came with a fair profile having scored a vital goal for Rangers in the Champions League against Porto that did much to help them through to the latter stages of the competition.
Born in Glasgow, the forward had only joined the Ibrox club in the summer of 2003 but by the end of the season had already made inroads into the first team.
His debut came against none other than Motherwell in May 2004, when he came on as a substitute after an hour with his team already four goals to the good.
His first senior start and indeed first goal came a fortnight later when he won, and then converted a penalty in Rangers 3-2 victory over Dunfermline at East End Park.
A single appearance followed in 2004'05 before Ross featured more regularly at the beginning of the 2005'06 campaign. He got his first taste of European football as a substitute against Anorthosis Famagusta before adding to his tally with another goal against Dunfermline in a 5-1 rout in October 2005.
Without doubt the highpoint of his Rangers career came the following month when he was thrown on as a substitute to fire home an 83rd minute leveller away to Porto to keep Alex McLeish's side in with a chance of qualifying from the Group Stage of the Champions League; a task they duly completed a fortnight later.
McCormack's final game and goal for Rangers came in the 3rd round of the Scottish Cup against Peterhead at Ibrox in January 2006, when once again he would come off the bench to find the net against the Second Division side.
Within days however Ross followed the path taken by a number of Rangers youngsters in going out on loan, and signing for Doncaster Rovers.
In a whirlwind start for the Yorkshire side he netted 4 times in 7 games and would go on to play 19 times in the league for them, scoring 5 times as the Belle Vue side missed out on the play-offs by just a couple of points.
At the end of the season McCormack returned to Ibrox but with Paul Le Guen taking charge he had prove himself once again. Unfortunately for Ross it seemed the Frenchman wasn't overly impressed and allowed him to move on.
Having worked with him at Scotland Under 21 level Motherwell manager Maurice Malpas most certainly was however and quickly moved to sign the striker up for an undisclosed fee. Eager to replicate the success of former team-mates Graeme Smith and Brian McLean, Ross was only too happy to sign for the Dossers and made mention of his determination to follow those players into the international set up.
It would be fair to say that things did not go quite as well as Ross or indeed Maurice Malpas would have hoped during his first season with the club.
Despite starting the first two games of the season, including claiming an assist in Phil O'Donnell's goal against Rangers on the opening day, McCormack's appearances in the first team became fleeting before he disappeared off the radar altogether.
Rumours circulated that there had been a disagreement between player and management, but several weeks later it was revealed the striker had in fact been suffering from a debilitating virus of which the medics were unable to get to the root of.
At last towards the end of November 2006, Ross appeared to be regaining his strength and fitness and was re-introduced to the reserves.
Several appearances and goals for the reserves brought him back into contention and Ross returned to the first team with substitute appearances in the wins over Falkirk and Inverness.
McCormack was then given a start in the goalless draw at Love Street in February 2007 and did enough to retain his place for the Scottish Cup Quarter Final against St Johnstone the following week. In an otherwise depressing evening Ross provided the one highlight, scoring his first goal for the Steelmen.
Further injury meant Ross's stop-start season continued before the final three games of the campaign really showed us what McCormack had to offer.
Despite the game at East End Park being long since ended as a contest McCormack came off the bench to impress. A few days later against St Mirren he ripped the Buddies defence to shreds on several occasions and netted twice, a diving header and penalty and could easily have scored four or five.
McCormack's season was concluded with an industrious display at Tannadice where he clipped the bar with an effort and really gave the travelling Dossers some hope that the replacement for the departing Scott McDonald was already on the club's books.
Raring to go when the players returned for pre-season training, Ross immediately began to impress Mark McGhee, even more so when he started to find the net when the new season began. Coming off the bench in 'Well's first home game of the campaign McCormack was confident and composed enough to fire home an injury time winner from the spot against Inverness.
The striker went on to find the net eight times before the turn of the year has since found the net on including truly sensational goals against Hibernian in the League Cup at Easter Road and again against the same team in a 2-1 victory at Fir Park in October.
Ross form saw him win back-to-back SPL Young Player of the Month Awards, and after scoring an impressing for Scotland U21's was given a late call up to the Scotland B squad where, after coming on as a substitute played his part in Scotland's equaliser in the 1-1 draw with Ireland in November 2007.
There was speculation in the January transfer window that Premiership clubs Middlesborough and Wigan were ready to make an offer for the striker, but while no bids were ultimately forthcoming, both made it known they retained an interest in securing McCormack's services come the summer.
Ross added three goals to his tally after the New Year as 'Well edged towards third place and his potential earned him called up for the Scotland squad to play the Czech Republic in May 2008.
Coming on as a late substitute in the 3-1 reverse Motherwell manager Mark McGhee was hopeful that his inclusion in the full international squad whilst a Motherwell player would help convince him to extend his stay at Fir Park a while longer.
But it wasn't to be and in late June 2008 McCormack opted to sign 2008 FA Cup Finalists Cardiff City have scored 14 times for the Steelmen in 57 league and cup appearances. |