Hearts midfielder Don Cowie backs Inverness boss Richie Foran
Don Cowie spent just one week playing alongside Richie Foran - but it was long enough to convince him that the Irishman can be a success at Inverness boss.
Hearts midfielder Cowie left for Watford seven days after Caley Thistle signed Foran from Southend in January 2009.
But he saw Foran's steely determination to succeed and reckons that inner drive will push him forward in the Highlanders dugout.
Foran lost his first two Ladbrokes Premiership games in charge to Partick Thistle and Ross County but former Scotland cap Cowie - who will go up against his former team-mate's side at Tynecastle on Saturday - has no doubt he will prove himself soon.
He said: "Richie was a team-mate for all of one week at Inverness seven or eight years ago.
"The fact he is still there shows how much he has bought into the area. Now that's progressed into him becoming the manager.
"I only played with him for a very short space of time but I saw he was a real winner.
"He'll be looking to get a win as soon as possible which he'll hope will be against us. It's up to us to be ready for it."
Like Caley Thistle, Hearts are still searching for their first league victory after defeat to Celtic and a goalless stalemate with Aberdeen.
In all the Jambos have failed to win any of their last five games - a run which has also seen them dumped out of both the Europa League by Maltese side Birkirkara and the Betfred Cup against St Johnstone.
But Cowie reckons it is far too early to be worrying.
The former Ross County, Cardiff and Wigan player said: "It's been a difficult start. We've played three of the top teams from last year.
"We've acquitted ourselves in those games and we're disappointed only to come away with one point.
"Winning breeds confidence and we want to get three points as soon as possible.
"We're not getting too down about it right now, though. Come back to me in maybe 10 games and we still haven't won, then it is a real problem.
"I'm fairly confident we'll put a run together. One win could turn everything around. Get a result on Saturday and that could kick-start things."
Hearts have confirmed to Press Association Sport striker Juanma will not feature against Inverness after he flew to Belgium for talks with Waasland-Beveren.
Midfielder Jamie Walker is also absent as he completes his two-match ban.
Scott Boden believes Inverness have to get a result against Hearts at Tynecastle on Saturday "by any means necessary".
Boden, 26, who moved to Caley Thistle in the summer after leaving Newport, is aware of the importance of getting points on the board.
"We need a positive result, we need to come back with some points by any means necessary," he said.
"It is very important. You don't want to go three games with no points and start to lose big ground on teams.
"It can happen. We don't want to be that team who falls by the wayside."
Defender Josh Meekings is in line to replace the injured Kevin McNaughton, whose season could be over after he underwent surgery on a ruptured Achilles.
On-loan Hearts winger Billy King has to sit out against his parent club.
Source: PA
