Nick Ross has revealed that he decided to pass up the historic opportunity of European football for the first time with his home town club Inverness to join Dundee.
The 23-year-old midfielder has put pen to paper on a two-year deal at Dens after deciding to leave Caley.
Inverness had offered him a new contract but Ross had made his mind up to move to the Dark Blues in a bid to stake a claim for regular football with Paul Hartley’s side.
The player, who spent most of last season as a sub for John Hughes’ team, said: “I am delighted to join Dundee.
“It is something that has been in the pipeline for a while so I am just glad it has been done in the end.
“Dundee are a big club with a large fan base and I am looking forward to the games this season, especially the derbies.
“I can’t wait to play in front of a big crowd.
“Inverness are my home town club so it was obviously hard to leave but I just felt I had to play more games.
“I didn’t get regular football last season at Inverness and towards the end of the season before so it was the right time to leave.
“I spoke to the manager here and he told me about his plans for me. I was really impressed and delighted to sign.
“The chance of European football with Inverness was in the back of my mind but then again, would I be playing? That’s what I had to think about.
“It might have been a great experience to play in Europe but I didn’t play in the SPL so I just thought it was the right time to leave.
“We had won the cup and finished third so it was time to try something different.
“There were a few teams after me but having spoken to the manager here, I knew where I wanted to go.”
Ross certainly left Inverness on a high, coming on as a late substitute in their Scottish Cup Final triumph over Falkirk at the end of last month.
He admitted the whole experience was unforgettable and he would now like to achieve something similar with the Dark Blues.
Ross said: “It was some weekend. We had the game and then the parade on Sunday with all the fans coming out.
“The support we got was great that weekend.
“But after it was done, I had a holiday and talked about what I wanted to do.
“I think getting away from Inverness will improve me. This will be the first time I have lived away from Inverness but it is a new chapter and I am looking forward to it.”
When asked if he felt Dundee could secure silverware this season, he said: “Definitely. There is not much difference between Dundee and Inverness.
“Dundee have made a lot of signings and are looking strong this season. So I don’t see why not.
“We defied the odds last season at Inverness. No one gave us a chance so I think we have a great opportunity here as anyone.”