Don Cowie says his remit is to bring calmness to Ross County after being appointed as interim manager.
Cowie has been handed the reins on a temporary basis for an unspecified period of time following the resignation of Derek Adams last week.
The 40-year-old arrives at a difficult period for the Staggies, who sit second bottom of the Premiership table – five points adrift of St Johnstone, albeit six points clear of bottom club Livingston.
Cowie will be assisted by Carl Tremarco, the Staggies’ under-18s manager, for the duration of his interim stint.
Following a run of nine matches without a win in all competitions, Cowie believes cool heads are required in order to navigate their way out of trouble in the remaining 15 matches of the campaign.
Cowie, who previously served as assistant to both Adams and Malky Mackay, said: “My remit is to take charge of the football club on an interim basis. There is no timescale on that – the club is not actively looking for a manager.
“It is my job to bring a calmness to this club and make sure we get the players playing again, and being competitive, making sure we stay in this league.
“I’m very proud to be in the position I’m in right now.
“I feel I’m ready to be a manager. If it wasn’t here it could have been somewhere else. The fact it is Ross County, I’m delighted.
“Now it is about me making the most of that and having an impact on the team.”
Cowie’s coaching grounding has prepared him for opportunity
Former Staggies midfielder Cowie retired from playing in 2020, and has been part of the Staggies’ backroom staff ever since, having initially been first-team coach under both Stuart Kettlewell and John Hughes.
Cowie feels ready for a crack at taking on the job himself, and insists he will use extensive experience of working under different managers to shape his own style.
The former Watford and Cardiff City player added: “I feel ready. Until you’re given the opportunity, you don’t know.
“But I’ve had a football career that has brought me many experiences. I’ve worked under some unbelievable managers in my career.
“Throughout that career I’ve looked at things that I can take help, advice, experience from. Now it is about me implementing that as a manager.
“I’ve had many managers, a lot of moves in my career.
“I’ve worked under Brendan Rodgers at Watford which was a real eye-opener for me, just in terms of the level of detail in football.
“I’ve worked under Sean Dyche, who was different – a motivator.
“A lot of my career has been working around Malky Mackay, someone we know well.
“And again it is just about taking things from everyone. I could name so many more managers I’ve gained valuable experience from.
“It is about me being myself and making sure I put my own stamp on it.”
Togetherness key for Staggies
Cowie inherits a squad which underwent significant change during the January transfer window, with seven new faces arriving and eight players leaving.
The Staggies have a number of injury concerns at present, with Jack Baldwin, Conor Randall, Scott Allardice and Will Nightingale among those sidelined for Wednesday’s game against Rangers at Ibrox.
Cowie is looking to instil togetherness within his squad, regardless of how long players have been at the club.
He added: “This is about being together. That has been the message I have put across to the players.
“There are a number of players who have come in at the end of the window, and were probably looking about wondering what was going on.
“I have made it clear we need everyone. We need to be in this together.
“When Ross County do well, it’s because we are united on the pitch and off the pitch.
“That has been the main message that I have put home to the players.
“I played in a team at Cardiff who had no superstars, but I would say it was the most collective team I have played under.
“Because of that, we went on to win the Championship. That’s what can happen when you are all pulling in the same direction.”
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