CONCEDING three late goals to Celtic at the Global Energy Stadium on Saturday was difficult for Jordan Amissah, the Ross County keeper who performed superbly against the Scottish champions and was a worthy winner of the Man of the Match award, to take.
The German-born Ghanian, though, has been through far worse experiences this season than the 4-1 defeat which his new side suffered against the William Hill Premiership leaders in Dingwall.
The 6ft 6in 23-year-old confessed that going without gainful employment for six months after being released by Sheffield United, the English Championship club he had spent six years at, in May was the most demanding spell of his career.
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“I can say that the months I had without a club were the toughest of my life,” he said. “It was my first time being in that position. You're just trying to keep yourself fit, keep the hands sharp and waiting for the opportunity.
“Obviously, leaving Sheffield United was not an easy decision. I had been there from under-18 and I played my first professional game there. I have a lot of time for a lot of people in the club.
“But ultimately I'm a young goalkeeper who wants to play games. So that's what I was looking for. But the opportunity didn't come up as quickly as I would have wanted to for sure.”
Amissah paid a heartfelt tribute to his friends and family for keeping his spirits up while he was without a club and revealed that his religious beliefs had been important for him during that time too.
“It's not easy when you've got no routine. You're going from training five or six times a week and having a match to not having that routine. It's really, really tough keeping that drive to get up in the morning, go to the gym, do your bits and bobs.
“But I would like to say that I've got a very good support system around me that stick with me in the good times and, for sure, stick with me in the bad times as well.”
Amissah added: “Watching football over the last six months was tough. I'm seeing good friends doing well, playing week in, week out. That's what you want to do. That's what I became a footballer for.
“I was a bit giddy waiting for that opportunity to go and play. It's just been exciting to come up here. I was excited as soon as I got the call. I'd heard a lot of great things about the club. I know people who've been up here before.
“I liked what I heard when I had my first conversation with the manager. For me, it was a no-brainer coming up here. Luckily, I have got the opportunity to get out there and play and I have kept the shirt so far.”
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He is confident that he can put the weekend disappointment behind him and help the Highland outfit to return to winning ways when they take on second tier Livingston in the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup in Dingwall on Saturday.
“I think I know what I can do,” he said. “I know what I can perform on the pitch. I'm backing myself to come here and do well.
“Celtic is one of the games where the goalkeeper can probably shine because you have a lot to do. But I would have swapped the Man of the Match for a point or three points.
“It's good. It's an achievement for me. But at the end of the day, the team is bigger than that. So, as I said, let's just get the head down. There's a tick behind this game now and we get focused on the next one.
“For me, it's all about keeping going now. I'm happy to have extended until the end of the season and I’m just trying to crack on. We've been on a brilliant run. We can even look back and say we've had a decent enough game against Celtic. We can build on that and crack on.”
