We are delighted to announce the appointment of Rhys McCabe as Airdrieonians player-manager.

Rhys takes up the position following the departure of Ian Murray, and it will be a family affair in the Diamonds management team as club captain Callum Fordyce, Rhys’s cousin, takes on the role of player-assistant manager.

29-year-old McCabe brought a wealth of high-level experience to Airdrie when he joined from Queen of the South last summer, having previously played for such clubs as Rangers, Sheffield Wednesday and Portsmouth.

Rhys’s influence on the park quickly became apparent, and his performances both in midfield and defence earned widespread plaudits as he made 41 appearances for the club, scoring seven goals. His free-kick against Motherwell secured him the club’s Goal of the Season trophy at last month’s awards presentation.

The club hierarchy noticed very early on last season that Rhys has the football intelligence and leadership qualities that modern footballers respect and expect from a manager. Callum has also demonstrated this over the past three seasons.

We will ensure that a fully comprehensive support structure is put in place to support Rhys and Callum in their managerial journey at Airdrieonians.

Signing on as player-manager at the Excelsior this evening, Rhys told airdriefc.com: “It’s good to get signed up and get things over the line as quick as we have, so I’m excited, raring to go and looking forward to getting onto the pitch.”

“I’ve always made it clear that towards the latter stages of my career it was an avenue I’d like to go down. Obviously the opportunity has come up to dive straight in, so it’s one that I’m excited about!”

We’re sure you’ll all join us in giving Rhys and Callum a warm welcome to the world of management as we aim to continue the good work done last season. Look out for our full-length interview with the new manager, coming soon on DiamondsTV.

The Board of Directors would like to thank all of the applicants and representatives who contacted us in relation to the position.