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This article appeared in The Scotland on Sunday on Sunday 21 March and was written by Des Kane.
If Neil Tarrant eventually transfers his talents to a bigger stage, he will always reflect on his formative years with great fondness. In his first full season as a professional, the 19-year-old scored 24 goals to establish Ross County as worthy candidates for the Second Division next year.
With such a formidable haul, it would be fair to say that Tarrant has made a flying start to his career. However, like all notable players, there lies a story behind the statistics.
Just two years ago, Tarrant was brutally cast aside when home-town club Darlington went bankrupt. The volatile nature of football at poverty-stricken clubs makes such events inevitable, but Tarrant, at such a tender age, found it difficult to handle.
"Darlington's financial situation was a nightmare for me," he says. "I had trained with them when I was at school and then as a YTS. I thought my future was safe, but the club was losing money and had to get rid of all their young boys. I didn't know what I was going to do, but I knew I wanted to play football."
Ross County manager Neale Cooper clearly appreciated Tarrant's desire to succeed and invited him to make the testing sojourn north to Dingwall. Leaving Darlinton held no fears for Tarrant. He realised his aspirations were on a slow track to oblivion if he did not catch the next train out of town.
"Once I got the 'phone call from Neale, I knew it was the right move for me. I was desperate to impress and I'm just happy I scored a couple of goals that won me a contract," he says.
Cooper talks in glowing terms about Tarrant's qualities, referring to his "attitude and desire to play football". Tarrant, though, is still somewhat surprised at his swift rise to prominence. He is the third most prolific assassin in Scotland, behind only Celtic's Henrik Larsson and Rangers' Rod Wallace. That fact is testamony to Tarrant's self-belief because his career could easily have gone awry when his strike partner Derek Adams joined Motherwell in a club record £175,000 move last October.
"Derek and I did well together, so I was obviously disappointed when he left. I then realised that the responsibility was on me to score the goals that could get us promotion. I think I've proved I can handle the pressure now. I've hit 23 golas, which brings me level with Derek's record for the club."
Tarrant projects a remarkable air of maturity for someone so young. He speaks as honestly and freely as he terrorises defences. Such self-assurance helped him settle in Dingwall, especially when he was not immediately bewitched by the town's attractions at first. A dearth of thriving city nightlife provides a stern test for any young man, but Tarrant is not worried. He has embraced the town and the effect it has had on his game.
"I've come here to learn my trade. It is a quiet place, but I think that's good for me at this stage of my career. I'm still learning the game and there are not the same distractions that you would find at a bigger club. I think that this has also shown in my game," he says.
"I've got a girlfriend now and I have quite a few friends. It was tough at the start, but now I'm really enjoying my life. Put it this way, I feel better equipped to handle a move to a bigger club now than I would have a few years back."
The experience of hardened professionals at the club, such as golakeeper Nicky Walker and Alex Taylor, have helped Tarrant to flourish and the list of clubs clamouring to watch him is growing every week. More will follow undoubtedly because a potent goal-scorer is a rare commodity. Tarrant realises a move is inevitable if the goals continue to flow.
"I feel quite honoured that so many clubs have come to watch me, but I try to put that at the back of my mind," he says. "I'm only interested in doing my best for the club and we'll see what happens after that. The future is something I have no control over."
The future looks bright for Tarrant, but, for now, he is happy to wallow in goals and the adulation that comes from scoring them.
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