KELTY HEARTS have appointed former Dunfermline boss John Potter as their new manager.

The 42-year-old, who has most recently been working with Queen's Park, has been chosen by the club to succeed Kevin Thomson at the New Central Park helm.

Last Tuesday, having guided the club to the League Two title in their maiden SPFL season, and his first in senior management, Thomson, and number two Kevin McDonald, resigned, with his ambitions set on moving into a full-time role.

The search for a new man to lead Kelty into League One – where Dunfermline, and Falkirk, will be amongst their opponents – began immediately and it is Potter that has been chosen to take the 'Maroon Machine' forward.

After a playing career that saw him captain both Clyde and St Mirren, either side of two spells with Athletic, Dunfermline-born Potter first cut his teeth in coaching with his hometown club.

Under Jim Jefferies, he was appointed as the club's under-20s head coach in 2012 and the following year - after the club had entered administration, which saw Potter called upon once more in a playing capacity - he took Dunfermline to the Scottish Youth Cup final, which they lost against Celtic, with whom he began his career.

After Jefferies resigned in December 2014, Potter took over as Athletic's head coach but, after a disappointing season that saw them finish seventh in League One, his tenure came to an end.

He did, however, remain with the club – reverting to his role as first team head coach – after the appointment of Allan Johnston as manager, which saw Dunfermline win League One in his first season in charge.

In the summer of 2018, Jack Ross – a former team-mate of Potter's at both Clyde and St Mirren – was successful in luring him to Sunderland as part of his coaching team, where they spent just under a year-and-a-half.

After reaching the EFL (English Football League) League One play-off final in their first season, Ross and Potter saw the Black Cats lose after extra-time to Charlton Athletic at Wembley, before they left their roles in October of the following campaign, with the team sixth in the table.

Potter then joined Ross at Hibernian and, despite leading them to third place and the Scottish Cup final in 2020/21, and the League Cup final last season, the pair left Easter Road in December.

Subsequently, Potter began coaching with Queen's Park and played a big role in the Spiders winning promotion to the Championship after play-off wins over Dunfermline – who were relegated – and Airdrieonians.

After his arrival at New Central Park, Potter is set to be reunited with former Pars stars Andrew Barrowman, the club's sporting director; Kallum Higginbotham; and Joe Cardle.

The latter, who has added the cinch League Two Player of the Season trophy to his PFA Scotland divisional award, believes that the Kelty job is one that will be highly sought-after.

"It definitely is a really attractive job. The club's on the up, the boys are full of confidence, we obviously had a great season last season, and we want to push on again, so I think some top managers, and young managers as well that are coming into the game, will want to look at the prospect of becoming Kelty manager," he said.

"It's an exciting time for the club."

We will have an interview with Potter in tomorrow's Press Sport.