Ross County assistant Don Cowie says working alongside Malky Mackay has made him appreciate the grounding he needs before realising his own managerial ambitions.

Former Staggies midfielder Cowie was appointed as Mackay’s assistant during the summer, having spent last season as first-team coach under both Stuart Kettlewell and John Hughes.

Mackay’s arrival at Dingwall in May saw Cowie reunite with his former manager, who he played under at Watford, Cardiff City and Wigan Athletic.

Cowie was linked with a start in management during the summer, when he was tipped to fill the vacancy at Caley Thistle prior to Billy Dodds’ appointment.

The 38-year-old says his stint as Mackay’s right-hand man has opened his eyes to the challenges involved in going it alone.

Cowie said: “Working under Malky in the last four or five months has probably made me realise how far away I was from being a manager.

“You might not see it, but the little things he’s doing at this club to try and improve it that I have seen have been huge.

“People only see what’s happening on the pitch with the team. In terms of being around the stadium and the training facilities, he wants the best for his players.

“When I first went down to Watford it was Brendan Rodgers that signed me. Malky was in the role I was in last year, as first team coach.

“He then became manager the following year. He has that aura about him in what he demands.

“If you are not training 100%, you won’t play for the club. It’s simple.

“If you think you can coast through at 80% in training, you won’t play come the weekend.

“The players know that now. That’s the way it was for me, because there were players who were technically better than me, which I had no problem with.

“But I knew if I was training better than them, there was more chance I would get picked come the weekend. It’s probably why I played under him for so long.

“That’s what he expects, and that’s probably what I now expect. We are on the same page.”

Cowie only starting to become truly acquainted with familiar face

Despite playing under Mackay at three clubs, Cowie says he has only got to truly know the former Scottish FA performance director since they became reacquainted as management staff at County.

Despite being a number two, Cowie says Mackay has made him feel empowered within the Staggies’ setup.

He added: “I probably didn’t know Malky personally. It was respectful.

“He was my manager and I was a player, in the same way as I was respectful to every other manager I played under.

“I would ask him in the morning how he was doing and that was it.

“In the last four months I have got to know him, and he might say the same about me.

“We have spent a lot of time with each other. He gives me loads of responsibility which I absolutely love.

“I know I’m new to the coaching side as an assistant manager, but he has shown a belief in me to go and carry things out.

“He seems to be happy in terms of what I’m implementing on a daily basis on the training pitch.

“It gives me a lot of confidence, knowing he has got confidence in me.”

County are four points adrift at the foot of the Premiership, but begin a hectic winter schedule with Wednesday’s home match against Hibernian.

Cowie says County must gear up for a crucial period of their campaign, adding: “There is encouragement, but there is also frustration. It makes us realise how close we are to being in a better position.

“The facts don’t lie, we are bottom of the league. We have had a third of the season and played everyone once.

“Now we go into that second third, and it’s important we finish higher up. We finished bottom in the first third, we now need to finish a couple of places higher in this next section.

“If we do that, then overall we will be in a much better position.”