Ross Killock is thrilled to be back at Chester FC - the club where he feels he produced the best football of his career so far.
He made a lasting impression on Blues fans during a 19-game loan spell in the 2013/14 campaign and was tipped to progress onto bigger things.
An unfortunate run of knocks, bad timing and an unhappy end to his time in the madness that is Leeds United in the Massimo Cellino-era mean that has not happened.
But Chester supporters remember a defender with great potential and there was widespread acclaim when Killock’s capture on a one-year deal was confirmed on Tuesday afternoon .
“I’m really looking forward to it, it’s been a few years since I was last here but I’m ready to come in and hit the ground running,” said Killock.
“The last year or year-and-a-half has been quite frustrating for me personally so I’m looking forward to getting out there and hopefully playing regular games for Chester and doing well.
“As soon as Macca rang me and spoke to me about the club he didn’t really need to sell it to me after my last spell here.
“I really enjoyed that time and it’s probably the most I’ve enjoyed my football while I’ve been a professional so as soon as he offered me a deal I told him I’d sign it straightaway.”
Following his stint at Chester, the now 21-year-old spent time on loan at both FC Halifax Town and Stockport County but found his opportunities limited.
But Huddersfield-born Killock is determined to put the past behind him and focus on the future, and had no qualms about dropping out of the Football League.
“People look at it as dropping down but I view it as a positive really because I’m going from playing reserve team football to playing first-team football hopefully week in, week out at a club like this who get the fifth or sixth biggest crowds in the league and I’m looking forward to getting it started,” he said.
“I hardly played last year so I didn’t really want the break at the end of the season, I just wanted to get back going and I’ve been counting down the days and now it’s finally here I can’t wait to get started.
“There was another club who offered me a deal and a couple of sniffs but as soon as Macca rang me and said he wanted me then obviously knowing the club and the set-up, it was a no-brainer really.”
Chester’s squad bears almost no resemblence to the one Killock left behind when a hamstring tear cut short his loan spell and forced him to return to Leeds with only Craig Mahon remaining at the club.
But, having met up with fellow new recruits Elliott Durrell and Blaine Hudson on the day he signed, Killock, who McCarthy plans to use as a right-back in a new-look defence, is sure he’ll settled straight back in.
“I met a few of the lads on Tuesday and they seem bubbly and what have you so I’m sure it’ll be fine,” he said.
“I’ve got no problems with moving to right-back, I’m quite looking forward to it. I like to get on the ball and I like to get forward, I think I’m fit and athletic so I think I’ll get up and down no worries but I’ll play wherever the gaffer wants me to.
“It looks like a really young and hungry squad with lots of lads like me who have been higher up and are dropping down because they want to get games and play regular and I think we can do well this season."
