NEW Lochgelly Albert manager Brian Muirhead said that the opportunity to take over came "out of the blue" but it is one he is relishing.

After just under a month out of the game after leaving Rosyth, where he had been in charge for three years, the former Glenrothes and Aberdour Amateurs boss was recently announced as the new gaffer at Gardiner's Park.

Co-managers Kevin Kinnell and Davie Sheach, who stepped in February after Ross Gallagher left to join Burntisland Shipyard in a playing capacity, had expressed a desire to step away from the dugout and concentrate on roles on the Albert's committee.

A phone call from friend Kinnell set the wheels in motion for Muirhead to return to the game with Lochgelly, despite having offers from elsewhere.

One of those was to link-up with another pal, Craig Ness, as his number two at Kirkcaldy and Dysart, but Muirhead felt that the chance to work as his own man at a local club was too good to turn down, having sought advice from others in the game, such as Hill of Beath Hawthorn boss, John Mitchell, and Kennoway Star Hearts' former Rosyth manager, Lee Richardson.

"It was a bit of of the blue," he explained.

"It was a Tuesday evening when I got a call from Kevin. We were chatting about a player that they were interested in, and what I thought, but it was a bit of a red herring from Kevin to try and sound me out.

"After the call with Kevin, I had a big, long chat with his dad John, the chairman, who asked me to go in for a meeting. I went in on the Friday and listened to their story, the set-up, general football stuff and the direction the club wanted to go in.

"A bit of me still wanted to be a manager, and I wanted it to be a local club. I'm a Lumphinnans boy; it's less than three miles to the park from where I stay.

"I hope to put the community spirit back in to the club. There's loads of talent in Cowdenbeath, Lochgelly, Crossgates, Kelty and Hill of Beath. If we could get half-a-dozen local boys, that could play at that level, it could transform the club."

Muirhead, who revealed he unsuccessfully applied for the post five years ago after leaving Aberdour, sees similarities to what he has inherited at Lochgelly to what he did at Rosyth in 2018, then a junior club in the East Region, South Division.

In the 2019/20 campaign, he had built a side that were top of the table and looking good for the title before COVID-19 saw the season axed, and led them into the East of Scotland League last term.

Muirhead resigned after five games of the current campaign, and continued: "Probably what Lochgelly needed is almost a mirror image of what we had at Rosyth.

"I was 95 per cent certain to go to Kirkcaldy, but there was something about the Lochgelly thing that whetted my appetite. I felt I need to give it a crack. I'm not sure if I could go back to being a number two, or do it justice.

"Since I've come in, the committee have worked tirelessly with me to try and get a few bodies in. We need to improve the squad.

"It's going to be a challenge but I think I've got the desire and the energy to see it through.

"I've got a target and level I want to get Lochgelly to get to, and I won't stop until we get there."

Muirhead, who has started to shape his backroom team with the appointments of Billy Blyth as his assistant, and Jim Rushford as his goalkeeping coach, saw his first match in charge end in a 5-2 loss to Kinnoull on September 11.

He saw enough, however, in that game to feel positive about aiming for a top-seven finish in Conference B of the First Division, noting: "We competed well for 60-65 minutes, and were level at 2-2, and then began to tire.

"To a man, they (the players) have been brilliant. The guys are responding to training really well.

"I watched them a couple of times and knew what needed to change. We've instilled a bit more discipline, and professionalism about the staff.

"I know I want to finish in the top seven; that's the aim. Will it be easy? Certainly not, as there are some good sides in this league.

"We're up for the task and the guys are buying into it."

Albert secretary, Ian Patrick, added: "Kevin Kinnell and Davie Sheach, who were our co-managers, were always intending to come on the committee last season, but they stepped in to help when Ross Gallagher left.

"For some time now, they've been finding it difficult getting players in and things like that. It was always a stop-gap. They did manage to steady the ship and they did, for the first time in four years, manage to win four games on the trot. But they were always wanting to move across to the committee and find somebody for the role.

"It was actually Davie and Kevin that broached it with myself and Jock Kinnell, the chairman. I think Kevin had actually been talking to Bud, because I think they were friendly, and made the suggestion. He had one or two offers from different clubs and I think he liked what we saw, so we formalised it.

"Hopefully Bud will be able to bring in a couple of players, maybe boost us a wee bit and see where it goes from there."