McCowan has struggled for opportunities at Celtic this season and was left out of the matchday squad for their recent victories over Motherwell and Hearts.

On Open Goal, Docherty said: "I saw him yesterday and we had a good chat. We keep in touch regularly. That can be difficult.

"I know he's going through a bit of a tough time at the moment."

However, Docherty is confident in McCowan's ability to bounce back, praising the midfielder's resilience and ability to overcome adversity throughout his career.

He added: "All through his career he's been resilient and faced adversity, so I would back him to get through it."

Docherty and McCowan have a shared history from their time at Dundee, where McCowan served as his captain before securing a move to Celtic.

The Scotland Under-21 boss admitted he was emotional when the transfer finally went through, having witnessed how much joining his boyhood club meant to McCowan.

Docherty said: "I was actually quite emotional about it. We were in pre-season and we knew about interest from Celtic.

"It was his boyhood dream to play for Celtic."

Despite McCowan's pivotal role in the squad, Docherty understood his desire to leave. He said: "I missed him personally, but for him it was brilliant."