Kieran McAnespie is ready to make his mark as Cumbernauld United’s new manager

The 40-year-old was Frame’s assistant manager, having only returned to the game earlier this year after taking a break for family reasons following a successful spell as Clydebank manager.

A player with many clubs, including St Johnstone, Falkirk, Arbroath and Stirling Albion, and a former Scotland under-21 internationalist, McAnespie is looking forward to the challenge at an exciting time in the club’s history with the move from the junior ranks into the senior pyramid system.

And while he admitted it was “a bit of shock” when Frame said he would recommend Kieran as his successor, he was pleased the players would get continuity.

He said: “It does take time to gel when a new manager comes in because their philosophy and ethos might be different.

“Football’s all about habits and when players are used to a certain way of working, when you bring in a manager with a completely different style it takes time to adapt.

“Hopefully that continuity works in our favours. Having worked with them and coached them for the last three or four months I understand them and Andy and I had already spoken about what we need to do for next season anyway.

“Hopefully I can continue the work Andy’s done over the past three years, take it to another level and maybe bring some silverware to the table.

“So the ideas are already fresh in my mind and I’m very lucky that I’ve inherited a very, very good squad.

“If you continue to change time and time again you’re not going to find consistency. I don’t bring in players for the sake of a number, they have to buy into what we want to do and fit into the changing room.

“The reason I came back into coaching was to work with Andy because I shared his ambition and enthusiasm and style of play.

“There will be no major changes because the boys will know how I operate and what’s expected, to work hard but also enjoying their football. If they don’t enjoy it there’s no point in them coming down.”

With the advent of the West of Scotland League there’s a new era on the horizon for Cumbernauld, something McAnespie is very much looking forward to.

He said: “When I was at Clydebank we spoke about the aim of getting back to the senior game, but there was no pathway. In England in the senior game there’s a pathway all the way up.

“Now we’ve got that opportunity that can allow us to try and develop a good squad and continue to improve the environment of the football club and make it much more professional. It’s about building a reputation and creating a more professional environment so that players want to come to Cumbernauld.

McAnespie is of course restricted in how much he can do by the coronavirus shutdown and knows a lot of things he want to do will have to be put on hold until the game, and society, can return to some sort of normality.

He admitted: “It’s a nightmare because I’m very hands on. I don’t like to speak to boys over a phone, I’ve always done things face to face. You get a better gauge on where people are, body language or facial expression can give a million things away.

“But we just have to do the best we can because we don’t even know when we start back.

“But the good thing is that our lads are pros and they’ll keep themselves ticking over.”

Club chairman George Watson said: “These are exciting times for the club as we join the new WOSFL and Kieran shares our vision and ambition to be a major force in the new league set up.

“We will be arranging a meet the manager Q&A as and when current Covid-19 restrictions allow.”