HE'S assumed the captain's armband for the new campaign and Tam O'Ware is eager to lead from the front and do well for his new boss.

The experienced 30-year-old, who previously turned out for Greenock Morton and Partick Thistle, signed a new contract during the summer to extend his stay with Kelty Hearts.

Although he had offers elsewhere, centre back O'Ware was keen to remain at the club, which he joined in 2021 under Kevin Thomson, to work under his close pal, and Kelty's player / boss, Michael Tidser.

The pair, who run a football academy together in Glasgow, were team-mates at Morton before linking up again at New Central Park, and O'Ware is likely to be a key figure for Tidser in a squad that has been radically reshaped since he took over from the departed John Potter.

A host of big names, including Kallum Higginbotham, Joe Cardle, Jamie Barjonas and Nathan Austin, left the club in the summer, but O'Ware is enthused by the challenge ahead.

"There's only me and Jason (Thomson), and young Liam (Campbell), left over from last season, so everybody that's going to come in will be a new face," he told Press Sport during pre-season.

"It's important to try and build a good changing room and take that out on the field.

"It's quite a relatively young squad, which I think that's the way football is just now, but everybody's came in with a kind of blank slate.

"Some boys are coming up from lower leagues, some boys are coming down. Ultimately, we know it's the gaffer's first job and we want to do well for him.

"It's been a couple of years now that, because of the average age of squads, you're usually one of the older ones, but this year's definitely going to be a big gulf in the age gap.

"I've played in the Championship, League One, so I've got games under my belt. It's about trying to get those boys to test them, push them on, and hopefully they can go and make something of it."