IT’S fair to say Jay Mingi was a happy man when the Cowleys took over as Colchester United’s new management team.

The 23-year-old had already sampled life playing under Danny and Nicky at his former club Portsmouth, where they handed him his EFL debut and he played the best football of his career, to date.

So the midfielder was naturally delighted when the duo were appointed at the U’s and knows exactly what to expect from the brothers, as they bid to life the club away from relegation danger and up the League Two table.

READ MORE: Danny Cowley full of praise for experienced Accrington boss John Coleman

Mingi said: “He (Danny Cowley) gave me my league debut at Portsmouth; he’s very hard on me and it’s almost like a father-son relationship.

“I know he just wants the best for me and for me to reach my potential.

“I knew what to expect – you have to go at it and they demand certain things from us.

“I feel like if you start on the front foot and you are aggressive, you dictate the terms of the game whereas if you’re soft and you let the other team dictate it, it becomes an uphill battle.

Gazette:

“They have strong beliefs and we have to follow those principles and beliefs.

“If we take care of it off the pitch, then the on the pitch will take care of itself.

“I think you can see with the way that we’re playing and starting games that there has been a shift and a change.

“It’s not just about being more consistent with those behaviours – as you saw (at Harrogate), we were really good for 60 minutes and it’s about making it for the full 90 minutes.

“We work on this in training and I feel like the more we do it in training, the more consistent we can become and we can take it into games.”

READ MORE: U's boss Danny Cowley makes candid League Two assessment

Mingi returned to first-team action for Colchester when he came on as a second-half substitute in their 1-0 defeat at Harrogate Town, last weekend.

It was the former Charlton Athletic youngster’s first appearance since he suffered a hamstring injury in the U’s EFL Trophy win over Peterborough United, last November.

“It’s a long time out and to be back now is a blessing – I’m just enjoying every minute of it,” said Mingi, who has made 15 appearances for the U’s.

“Initially, I didn’t expect to be out as long as I was but it can always be worse so it’s a case of just attacking it and getting through it.

“Getting into the starting line-up is never going to be easy but I have to prove myself and show why I deserve to be there.

Gazette:

“I’ll be doing all I can to get back in that team and I feel like the best of me is still yet to come and it will come, most definitely.

“I came here on the back of no pre-season so I was playing catch up and when I finally caught up, I got injured.

“It’s been a bit stop start but life is never in straight lines or uphill – there’s going to be ups and downs and it’s how you bounce back from it.”

Mingi is hoping to help Colchester claim an important win when they host Accrington Stanley tomorrow.

He added: “We’ve got home advantage this weekend and it’ll be a real good game.”