He was a near ever-present in 1893–94, missing only one match and scoring four goals in Preston's 18–0 FA Cup first round rout of Southern League Reading in January 1894.

He scored four goals in 17 appearances for the Glasgow club and played in a trial match for the Scotland national team which ultimately did not lead to any full caps[3] before a return to England to join his elder brother James Cowan at Aston Villa the following August.

Villa won the League in 1895–96; Cowan scored nine goals in 22 games that season and was part of a forward line that included Johnny Campbell, Jack Devey, Charlie Athersmith and Dennis Hodgetts.

[4] That finished the scoring and therefore Aston Villa had emulated the great 'Invincibles' of Preston North End that achieved the FA Cup and Football League double in 1888–89.

[4] However 1897–98 proved a disappointment, and Villa finished only sixth in the League, crashing out of the FA Cup in the first round, although Cowan still featured regularly.