Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts boss Jason McCrindle on taking job

Jason McCrindle took up the role last month, following the departure of Jason Dair, and is set to take charge of his first competitive game this Saturday against Penicuik Athletic.

The 45-year-old was denied a first league match in charge at the weekend when the Swifts' scheduled home derby against Hill of Beath Hawthorn was called off due to the heavy snowfall that substantially hit the sporting card.

READ MORE: Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts chair delighted to secure new boss

He has, so far, taken charge of two friendly matches - against Whitehill Welfare and Newtongrange Star - and is looking forward to getting going in the league, after whirlwind week that saw him depart divisional rivals, Luncarty, and then take up his post at Inverkeithing.

"It's been really positive. There's a great bunch of guys there, and I've obviously met other coaches, and everybody involved with the club. I'm just looking forward to getting to work," McCrindle told Press Sport.

"I was at my previous club and we just had a conversation. We decided that the club wanted to go in a different way; they wanted to run their club with a different model and things like that, which is totally fine. It's the club's prerogative to do that.

"I wasn't looking to leave or take a break or anything like that. I was still planning for the weekend's game - we had Tynecastle that week, so I was still planning for that. I left on, I think it was the Tuesday or Wednesday night, then I got a call from Craig (Reid, Swifts chairman) two days later, and that was it.

"I met up with him and had some really, really good conversations. They were quite positive in terms of what they were looking for, how they wanted to run the club, and I felt as though I could offer what I wanted to do in terms of that as well.

"I got offered the position and I couldn't really turn it down. I've known the league and played against the majority of teams in the league, so I'm just looking forward to getting started.

"Even when we played against them (with Luncarty), they had a lot of good individual players. Working closer with them, there's a lot of good players there. There's a lot of good technical players.

"They are still relatively young, so I think the biggest thing that they need now is confidence. I think when you look at their results, they've beaten Sauchie, they've beaten Dundonald, they've beaten Dunbar, so it's a group of players that, when they're confident, they can go and beat anybody in the league.

Jason McCrindle has been impressed with the quality of player he has inherited at the Swifts. (Image: David Wardle.)

"For me, it's a great starting point knowing what they're capable of doing, and it's my job, and my responsibility, to get the best out of them, and to make sure that those results are more consistent, making sure that we're competing with the teams above us, and making sure as well that we're not losing against teams below us."

McCrindle arrives at Inverkeithing, who sit 13th in the table, one place immediately above the relegation zone, with experience of coaching in the Kingdom, having previously been involved at Rosyth and Burntisland Shipyard.

Last season, in his role as head coach, he helped guide Kinnoull to promotion to the Premier Division, before taking over at Luncarty, whom he led to the Scottish Cup second round for the first time in their history.

"Even in a short space of time the guys have been quite receptive and quite open. I think as well, even the feedback to the players as well, it's important that we're all a group and we're all communicating with each other," he continued.

"They need to play to their strengths. Their strengths are they're a good technical side, so we want to have the ball, and we'll just work hard when we don't have it.

"For us, we'll probably look to play more, we'll probably look to keep the ball more, so we're having a wee bit more control in games.

"It's to go and have a good, strong, winning mentality, whether that's winning 1-0, 2-0 or 3-0, we want to go and win games of football. We'll do that, hopefully, by having a wee bit more control in games.

"I know where we are in the league, I'm well aware of that, but, for me at the moment, I'm just looking forward to working with these guys, working with the manager at the under-20s, trying to make the club grow, trying to improve it, trying to improve this group of players, and hopefully promote some of the under-20s.

"I think it's more about longevity thing for me, working with Craig and the committee, speaking to them and what they want to do, and how they want to take the club forward.

"Obviously results are the most important thing, but I know what the club want, I know what my remit is, so I'm well aware of what the club want in a manager and what they want that's best for the club."

Meanwhile, the Swifts have been drawn away to either Gala Fairydean Rovers or Luncarty in the fifth round of the East of Scotland Qualifying Cup.

If they were to progress, they would then face either Tranent, Jeanfield Swifts or Broxburn Athletic in the semi-finals. Dates for the ties are to be confirmed.