Don Cowie insists Ross County’s last two matches underline his trust in defender Akil Wright to carry out any role.
Englishman Wright has been a near ever-present since joining from Stockport County last summer, having already racked up 31 starts for the Staggies.
Across all competitions, the only game in which he was not involved this term came when he was rested for the 1-0 defeat to Spartans in the Premier Sports Cup last August.
Wright has typically been deployed in the centre of the Staggies defence, where he has been one of the side’s leading performers this term.
Wright has shown his versatility in recent weeks, having started in the heart of County’s midfield against Rangers at the beginning of the month, before being fielded at right wing-back for Saturday’s 3-0 win at Motherwell.
Derby-born Wright has also emerged as a goalscoring threat having netted three times this term, with the pick of the bunch coming when he scored a stunning strike in the 2-1 victory at Aberdeen on January 2.
‘I could play Akil anywhere’
Such has been the impression Wright has made on the Dingwall side, Cowie insists he would be comfortable about asking 28-year-old Wright to play in any position.
Cowie said: “I think Akil has been outstanding for us this season – so consistent.
“Unfortunately Michee Efete is injured, and Jimmy Brown wasn’t involved as he had a family bereavement.
“I was thinking about who to play there, and I genuinely feel you could play Akil anywhere on the pitch and he would do a really good job for the team.
“I thought he did that after maybe 15 to 20 minutes getting used to the new position.
“His sheer physicality and mobility on the pitch allows him to be effective anywhere.
“He did another good job for the team playing slightly out of position.”
New additions making mark on Staggies side
Cowie’s scope to adapt his backline has been strengthened by the loan additions of Zac Ashworth and Jonathan Tomkinson during the January transfer window.
The Staggies also drafted in Hibernian midfielder Nohan Kenneh on loan, while attacker Kieran Phillips joined on a two-and-a-half year deal from Huddersfield Town.
County have won three and drawn one of their six games since the turn of the year, with two defeats against Celtic and Rangers.
With the Dingwall outfit now 10th in the table, and looking to move further clear of the relegation zone when they host second-bottom Dundee on Saturday, Cowie feels his new reinforcements are starting to impact the side.
He added: “We did a lot of our business at the start of the window, which helped.
“It means they have been here for the best part of two months now. They are really settled.
“They have bought into our football club, and the way we work.
“A few were maybe behind in terms of actual minutes on the pitch, which sometimes takes them a little bit of time to get them up to speed.
“Jonathan Tomkinson has come in and I think he’s been excellent, as we saw on Saturday. He has been really consistent and had a big impact, which can only make us stronger.”
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