Ross County striker Ronan Hale wants to tattoo a place in Staggie fans’ affections - but will never match grandpa Danny
Ronan Hale will know he is a well-kent face in Scotland the moment Ross County supporters start tattooing it to their bodies.
After helping Cliftonville end a 45-year wait for Irish Cup glory, the striker was stunned to see some fans had imprinted his image on arms, legs and torsos.
The idolisation of Hale came after he netted two extra-time goals to seal a 3-1 victory over Linfield before 15,000 fans at Windsor Park last May.
It was an incredible day for the whole Hale clan, but no matter how much trophy success he replicates across the Irish Sea, the 26-year-old will never convince one relative he is the best finisher in the family - grandad Danny, the Derry and Crusaders legend.
The seven-goal Staggies’ frontman, who has hit the ground running despite switching to full-time football without a pre-season, revealed: “My granddad, who is the main man, is getting on a bit now.
“But he never forgets any of his football stories. He will talk about them all day.
"He talks about the goals he scored in his career and he likes to remind you of that!
"He has been a massive influence on my career and it is great to see him when I go back home.
“He watches my goals online, so it's brilliant.
"He was a special finisher who never scored outside the box. He is nicknamed Red Sand Dan and he never left the box.
“He tells me ‘stay in between the posts, that's the main thing.”
County’s Hale has shown prowess from outside the penalty area, with his wonder-strike against Hearts at Tynecastle in late September perhaps the pick of the bunch.
His form has alerted Northern Ireland boss Michael O’Neill who, in the summer, persuaded Hale to switch allegiance after youthful involvement with the Republic of Ireland.
Hale, frustratingly, is still waiting for FIFA to rubber-stamp the switch.
But he knows he still has a long way to go if he is to enjoy the same hero status he generated back home in Belfast.
He said: “I was fortunate to have some great years back home.
"My brother Rory and I played together when we were younger and then went our separate ways, but linked up again at Derry City and then moved to Crusaders together.
"We were also with one another at Cliftonville for two years where we went on to savour that cup success.
“If there is one player to play with, it's my brother as the link-up between us never changes.
"He's very proud of me moving here and getting my chance.
"After what happened at Cliftonville, there were a couple of tattoos going around.
"There is one of me celebrating in the cup final on someone's leg or arm.
“It's unbelievable to see. You would not expect people to go that far, but what a compliment it is.
"You play in front of them, score one goal and you're remembered forever.
“It is a great feeling to have. I'd love to see one at Ross County.”
Hale, if not quite at hero worship stage with the Staggies’ faithful, has certainly endeared himself to them.
Describing how he has upped his fitness levels and sharpness to adapt to Scottish football, Hale revealed having his family settle in together from mid-October has really helped.
He said: “It has been different for me, moving away from home. I've come to a better standard of league.
"The Irish league is a great platform for boys to go on from.
“I've come here and scored a few goals and I'm just trying to build on that. We've had a few good results in a row.
“It is bringing out the best in the boys. We know the goals will come.
“It feels more like home now. When I was training, I was just going back to the house on my own.
"Now my family is over, I've got my two kids and my fiancée, so it's brilliant. We have a five-month-old called Bria and we have Myá who is seven years old.
"On the football side, I've handled myself well.
"We've played all the top teams and, apart from Rangers which was a disappointing day, we've competed. As mad as it sounds, I didn't feel that was even a 6-0 game.
"We gave Celtic a go here and we got a positive result here against Hibs.
"We were 1-0 down against Kilmarnock and came back to win 2-1.
"This season, we have always been in the games. It's something we can build on.
“There’s great competition among the strikers and we're positive with one another.
"It was my turn to miss out at the weekend. I just tried to do my best as soon as I came on. I had a couple of chances, but I was in the game with big Jordan White.
"We have healthy competition. Everyone is striving to get that number one spot.
“Sometimes we play with two up front, sometimes with one.
"You just move on to the next one. We can take confidence into this Saturday. We're going to try and take all three points against Dundee United.”
