Hugh 'Shug' Kerr: Lanark United player/coach eyes manager's role in future

Kerr (30), who has formed a prolific partnership with Ian Watt, hopes to learn the ropes under manager Colin Slater and assistant Cameron ‘Spike’ McNeish, with a view to one day becoming United boss himself.

He told the Carluke and Lanark Gazette: “I’ve turned 30 this year and I’m looking at the next stage, which is coaching and then going into management.

“It’s definitely a stepping stone learning off Colin and Spike and take it from there.

“In my mind I’m thinking I’ll play until I’m about 35/36.

“I would jump at the chance of being Lanark manager one day. It’s a great club run by great people.

“They gave me a big opportunity to play.”

Kerr, a former mobile phones salesman who now works for Barclays Bank, assessed United’s prospects next season, going into Conference of the new West of Scotland Football League.

He said: “I think out of all of the conferences we’ve probably been landed in the toughest one.

“But with that said, we’ve come into it with a continuity.

“There’s a lot of other teams round about us bringing in a lot of new players, high profile players.

“But we’ve kept the same core group that’s been quite successful in the past couple of years.

“We’ll be looking for another promotion.”