From the Dugout - with Don Cowie

Having been attached to the club as a youngster and then continuing on through its youth ranks, and with his dad a Ross County legend, it was possibly inevitable that Don Cowie would one day sit in the manager's seat.

And although the timing and reasons behind his arrival have not been of his making, it's clear he's a man who thinks his managerial time has come.

Appointed interim manager last week following the resignation of Derek Adams, Cowie is justifiably proud of fulfilling a long-held ambition to head into the dugout as the main man.

The fact that he's done so in Dingwall with County makes it even more pleasing.

And with County confirming that they're not looking for anyone else to fill the role for the present, Cowie knows he has the chance to make the job his own if he can motivate his players and start getting points on the board.

"My remit here is to take charge on an interim basis - there's no timescale on that and the club are not actively looking for a manager. It's my job to bring a calmness to the club, to make sure the players get going again and become competitive, " he said at his first press conference in charge.

"It's something I've aspired to be and it's a club I know well and have had a long association with - so it's a proud moment for me and my family," he said.

That familiarity with the club is something he sees as a big plus in his favour although whether he foresaw taking over the hot seat all those years ago when he first started playing here aged just eight is open to debate.

Progressing to the youth ranks and first team he then gained huge experience playing with Inverness Caley, Watford, Cardiff, Wigan and Hearts, returning to Dingwall in 2018 and becoming a first-team coach under Stuart Kettlewell when he retired before becoming assistant to Malky Mackay.

Add in the small matter of his 10 international caps with Scotland and you can see that this is a guy who's been there, seen it and bought several t-shirts.

It's also why he has the respect of his players even at this early stage, with injured captain Jack Baldwin saying his new boss's footballing pedigree is fantastic and one that will hopefully rub off on the players. Cowie in turn has shown what he thinks of Baldwin by asking him to come to Ibrox on the team bus and also be in the dressing room, even although he's on the injured list.

Playing under so many different managers as a player - Brendan Rodgers and Sean Dyche to name but two - is also seen as a plus by Cowie.

"I've taken things from all of them and but ultimately I'll be myself and put my own stamp on things," he said.

He hardly needs any further motivation but if he did his very first game in charge at Ibrox against Rangers should whet the appetite.

"Rangers are an excellent team on an excellent run but if we go there with a plan and the players pull together the way I know they can we can still create problems for them, " he said.

He wants his teams to be a threat to any team when they go forward - but he's really clear that firstly he wants his players to be known for working their socks off.

"First and foremost the foundation for me is hard work. If you're at Ross County and you want to achieve things, the cornerstone of that is to work hard. I want the fans to see players who've given everything to their club.

"I'm probably a clear indication of what you get if you work hard. Some of these players have far more ability than I had, but if you work hard, and maximise what you've got, you can achieve anything in football."