New Ross County manager Malky Mackay has pleaded with Staggies supporters to judge him on his time at Victoria Park rather than the past.
Mackay has been appointed as County’s new manager, succeeding John Hughes who left on Monday after steering the club to safety.
His appointment has prompted a backlash from sections of the Dingwall support, given his involvement in text messages containing discriminatory language during his time at Cardiff City, which ended in 2013.
The 49-year-old has since had a short stint in charge of Wigan Athletic six years ago, which was his last managerial appointment prior to joining the Staggies.
Having previously apologised for his conduct Mackay insists he is not hiding from his past indiscretions, but he feels he has since shown a willingness to turn a new leaf and hopes he can bring success to County.
Mackay said: “That was something that was seven or eight years ago now, it has been well-documented a variety of times.
“There is nothing to hide there in terms of the whole aspect of it and the interviews I went through for the next three or four years.
“Since then I have worked for another football club, the Scottish FA and the governance of the game in Scotland for the next four years, been asked to be interim manager of the national team, and more recently UEFA and FIFA.
“I always try to attain to be better every day and I would hope that the people who genuinely know me and have come across me, especially in the last four years in Scottish football, make their own mind up as to who I am.
“What I can tell you is for the good of Ross County I will do everything in my power 24 hours a day to make sure the chairman and chief executive, and more importantly the fans and the community in the Highlands, are seeing someone wholly committed to their football club and genuinely wants to make a difference here and help the club improve.”