Liam Boyce deal proves Staggies mean business, insists Jim McIntyre

The 24-year-old Northern Ireland international, who has scored 17 goals this season, has signed a new deal that ties him to Dingwall until the summer of 2018.

McIntyre said: "If you look around the country you see big clubs signing up their best players and Liam falls into that category for us.

"He's done fantastically well. He deserved an uplift in his contract and he was happy to sign it.

"He is enjoying his football here. He is learning all the time and is getting better and better. He sees it as a football club where he can keep progressing.

"The players know we're a very professional club and we're trying to move in the right direction. Re-signing players like Liam on longer-term contracts sends out that message.

"You want to build a team. You just need to look to Aberdeen, they don't let their players run out of contract.

"They make sure, when they have been doing well for them, they get them on extended deals."

County failed to celebrate Boyce's new deal with a win against Hearts, going down 3-0 on Wednesday night, and they now face a Celtic side looking to settle a score following their Scottish League Cup semi-final defeat to the Staggies.

"We have got the hardest task possible," McIntyre said. "Celtic will be determined to get the semi-final out of their system.

"We know we will be facing a really hungry team who will want to slap us down a wee bit after putting them out of the cup.

"They are certainly under a bit of pressure but they have still got good players, they have still got a team of internationals."