Ambitious Kelty fire up Ferguson’s imagination

THE obvious question is why a man who captained Scotland and Rangers might wish to rekindle his management career in the austere surroundings of the Lowland League. To Barry Ferguson, however, the answer is clear. The discussions he held earlier this week with ambitious Fife club Kelty Hearts, a Junior side until 2017, appear to have chimed perfectly with his own thoughts. He has promised them a formal answer on their offer over the next 48 hours. Given the glowing appraisal Ferguson delivered yesterday, it would be a surprise if it wasn’t a positive one. Impressed by the vision and structure at Kelty, the 40-year-old (below) would have no qualms about getting his hands dirty at a lower level than the League Two job he left when resigning from Clyde 20 months ago. Approaches from clubs further up the ladder failed to similarly fire his imagination. Having also had a spell as caretaker boss at troubled Blackpool in 2014, it’s perhaps understandable that Ferguson wants to be part of an organisation moving in the right direction. Maintaining their current table-topping position would give Kelty a chance to win a place in the senior set-up next season. ‘I had a few people saying to me: “Why are you going to that level?” Well, you know what? I can’t pick and choose,’ he insisted. ‘I just want to go and coach and try and make people better. They showed an ambition and drive that excited me. I’ve spoken with a couple of clubs over the last seven to ten days. I’ve decided one just matched the ambition. ‘It took me aback, if I’m honest — it blew me away. But nothing has been agreed, I’m still talking. ‘They have a full pathway through the club from five-year-olds to 20s. They have a successful 20s team, they have just started a women’s team, they are revamping their full pitch. ‘They have got permission to build two new stands and have a clear vision of where they want to go. Other clubs I spoke to didn’t. ‘It’s about taking them to where they want to go. It just ticked the boxes for me. Over the next 48 hours, there will be a decision made. I have to say that the way it is run, I was really impressed.’ Ferguson was among a number of former Rangers players to hold talks with Pedro Caixinha in the summer of last year. The Portuguese eventually appointed Jonatan Johansson as his Ibrox No3, leaving Ferguson to later admit he felt he had ‘dodged a bullet’. He had previously guided Clyde to the League One play-offs in 2016 but stepped down after a bad run of form the following year. He admits he will take a new approach when he returns to the stresses of the technical area. ‘Why do you think my wife hasn’t spoken to me for three days?’ laughed Ferguson, who will captain the Scotland team at the Glasgow edition of Star Sixes tournament for international legends being held at the SSE Hydro in January. ‘I’ve gone and watched a lot of football, spoken to a lot of managers and been to a lot of clubs, whether that be down south or abroad. I’ve been to a lot of places in America. ‘I need to do things differently than before. I was highly strung and demanding. Listen, I will still demand but I need to rein it in. I have learned lessons, I am not embarrassed to say that. I am excited about it and, hopefully, I can get something sorted. ‘I wouldn’t say I was bruised (by how it ended at Clyde). I was uptight, a frustrated guy. You get injuries and you can’t sort it by bringing players in — and there were a lot of things. ‘I’ve learned not to take it back to the house. I was becoming the guy that I was when I was 25, which isn’t great! ‘But I will still have the passion. Whether it is playing in the Star Sixes, whether I was a player or a manager, I want to win matches — and that will never leave me.’