Andy Kirk insists the opportunity to renew his 21-year working relationship with Craig Levein at Brechin was too good to pass up.
Levein was Kirk’s first manager when he was a striker at Hearts in 2000.
Levein also appointed the former Northern Ireland international as a coach whilst operating as director of football role at Tynecastle.
And as Kirk prepares to take charge of the Angus side – having quit his role as head coach of Hearts Women – he admits the Levein-factor was a big draw.
“My relationship with Craig goes back to 2000 when I was playing for him at Hearts,” said Kirk.
“He brought me back to Hearts as a coach and I have a tremendous amount of faith and trust in him as a person.
“When the opportunity came up at Brechin, the fact that he was involved was always going to make the appeal much stronger.
Experience
“A lot had to fall into place on both sides to make this work but having someone like Craig Levein there makes a big difference.
“There is trust on both sides here and his experience will be invaluable to me.
“When I spoke to the club I came away with a really good feeling about the project.
“There are a lot of good people who are determined to make this club successful.
“I’m young, hungry, ambitious and have the drive to succeed.
“Brechin are all of these things right now too.
“I am coming to a club that has a real vision for the future – not just on the park but off it too.”
The Challenge for Andy Kirk
Kirk is under no illusions at the size of task he faces as Brechin bid to bounce back from the shock of relegation to the Highland League.
City have been in freefall since gaining promotion to the Championship in 2017, relegated three out of the last four years.
However, under a new regime led by new interim chairman Kevin Mackie – Brechin are bidding to win back the hearts of the local community.
“It’s going to be a real challenge for the club to get back to where it wants to be,” added Kirk. “But being challenged is a good thing.
“Football is so important to people and we have to build strong community links.
Project
“I’m primarily here to put a successful team on the park but I’ll work with the club to establish community links.
“We want to build a club that the fans can be proud of for what they do on and off the park.
“I want to make the players better and improve opportunities for them to progress.
“If I do that then, ultimately, Brechin can be successful.
“To succeed, we need players to not only have ability but the right attitude. We need them to be fully committed to the project.”
