He has helped his club haul themselves off the bottom of the table but defender Marcus Fraser insists there can be no let-up in Ross County’s push for Scottish Premiership survival.
The Staggies were six points adrift at the bottom of the division in February but as the finish line looms on the horizon, the future suddenly looks a lot brighter at Victoria Park.
County have a healthy lead and a game in hand on bottom club St Mirren while they have also put daylight between themselves and second-bottom Motherwell.
But full-back Fraser knows there can be no resting on laurels from anyone at the club.
He said: “It’s going to be a long run between now and the end of the season and every game is going to be massive, regardless of who we are playing. Whether it is survival or fighting to get into the top six, every game is going to be vital.
“The manager hasn’t spoken about staying up or what we need to do. He has kept everyone focused on their football and training at a high tempo and it has worked.
“It doesn’t matter what other teams do or what their results are. We just have to look after ourselves in the next three games as wins in those could change everything.”
Next up for the Staggies is a trip to Tannadice today to face Dundee United, whose form has been the opposite of the Dingwall men.
Two draws and six defeats in the last eight games in all competition have derailed the Tangerines’ push for Europe at a pivotal point of the campaign.
But Fraser said: “The form we’ve been on is good and everyone has got a lift from it but Dundee United are a good team. They’re coming back off four tough games against Celtic which is hard for anyone but we know what their strengths are and we will be ready for them.”
Fraser missed out on the chance to represent his country during the international break when a hamstring injury meant he had to withdraw from the Scotland under-21 squad for the 2-1 friendly win against Hungary in Budapest.
But the right back believes the break from football has afforded him the opportunity to make a full recovery in time for his club’s crucial run-in.
He said: “I missed the last game as my hamstring was playing up a bit. I met up with Scotland under-21s but they agreed it would be better if I withdrew and had a couple of days rest. I did that and feel a lot better for it. I’m fit to go.”