Mackay: Ross County is united behind Charles-Cook after online hate

Ross County manager Malky Mackay says the club have united behind Regan Charles-Cook after the attacker was subjected to racist abuse online.

Charles-Cook scored his 10th goal of the season during Saturday’s 3-3 draw with Rangers to go top of the cinch Premiership scoring charts but saw messages of hate after the game.

Police are investigating the offences and Mackay believes Charles-Cook has got his focus on football ahead of Tuesday’s visit of Aberdeen.

“He’s a terrific young man,” Mackay said. “He’s got great character, he really has. It’s in the hands of the police so I don’t want to say too much in terms of that.

“All I would say is we found out and I gave him a call and we had 15-20 minutes on the phone on Saturday night. (Chief executive) Steven Ferguson is all over it as well, as is (media officer) Dale (Pryde-MacDonald). So we stay strong as a club, united and together, and nothing breaks us.

“He was in Sunday morning as good as gold with everyone, and the group were around him.

“The police can deal with those people.

“It was such a high point at the end of the game for him, going to the top of the scoring charts, doing interviews with the press and TV.

“He had about 100 messages of fabulous things and then you have people like that in the world who are disappointing and awful.

“But there is a lot of people who have pulled round him and he’s a great boy with good spirit and a great heart and his head was straight back into us and our group.”