I have always said it.

It is playing, coaching, then the media for me - in that order. So I am a lucky man indeed to be back in full-time top- flight football as assistant manager to Jim McIntyre at Ross County. When people see or hear me on the BBC they maybe don't realise how much coaching I have done or how serious about it I am.

The truth is it is almost 10 years since Gordon Chisholm asked me to take on first-team coaching duties at Dundee United and I have never been out of football for any prolonged period since.

A lot of great candidates were mentioned in connection with the Ross County job. John Hartson was interviewed and Patrick Kluivert was linked with the post. But I am so happy Jim got the call and that I had a decision to make again.

So many players have nothing to fall back on when their days on the pitch are done. I am so lucky that I've been able to do it all.

Jim and I are both opinionated, but it is scary how often we are on the same wavelength. So many times we will be watching a game and will both say exactly the same thing, exactly the same words, at the same time. Usually we just look at each other and laugh.

Another thing we share is that we will do our jobs thoroughly. We both come from working-class backgrounds - my dad was a miner, Jim's was a joiner - and we both want a real work ethic at the club.

While I did some coaching under Jim at Queen of the South, this is our first real chance to work together 24/7, with the chance to assemble a real staff. As an assistant, have to have the trust of the players and be able to talk to them. You have to be upbeat and know what you are doing tactically. If the gaffer maybe has a go at the players, you have to take the role of mediator, but I love interacting with the players, so that suits me fine.

This is a hard gig, though. It can be hard to attract players to Dingwall because of its location. The ones who do come up here love it though. We are going to have to broaden the scouting network, use our contacts to put together a decent team, and make sure we can keep Ross County in the top league.

We are going to overhaul the structure and will certainly be looking at the youth teams. You might not get a player through any time soon, but we need to get the youth academy working the way we think is right. Steven Ferguson, the club's head of youth, is a great lad and has been magnificent since we came in.

As for the first-team squad we have inherited, there is a lot of talent in there. The confidence is down, though, so one of our challenges in the short term is to lift it.

We need to make sure the players are comfortable enough to express it. Even if this bunch make mistakes, I want to see a better reaction. Any team at any level loses goals, but good teams react.

The long- term aim for us might be to be a top- six club, but short term is survival, making sure the club stays in the Premiership. And one thing is for sure: you won't get any better backing than you will from Roy MacGregor. Whatever we need, he will get that done.

While it was one of the happiest days of my life in football when we got the call it was also one of the saddest. As brilliant as it was to be back in the top flight, I definitely feel for the boys we've left behind in Dumfries.

I played for my country and for big clubs such as Aberdeen, Dundee United and Rangers, but I've never had the feeling I had walking out of that Queen of the South dressing room for the last time.

I felt I'd let those boys down. That is the kind of bond I want to get here.

Moving to Ross County is a chance worth taking.