New Montrose boss George Shields has thanked the players for getting him the Links Park job.
And several of them are set to be rewarded with fresh contracts.
Shields revealed that players who he and his predecessor Stuart Garden had planned to let go in the summer have changed his mind with their recent form.
The 53-year-old, who is taking on his first management job in senior football, said: “Before Stuart left we made up a list of the players we wanted to keep and those we would let go.
“After he parted company with the club I told the players they had four games to impress. There’s possibly three boys who have changed my mind who we’ll be talking to next week.
“It’s a credit to the players that I’ve got the job. Their attitude has been brilliant. They’ve given me everything over the last couple of weeks.”
Shields admitted that when Garden moved on it hadn’t been in his thoughts to succeed him.
“I didn’t think about applying for the job at first,” he said. I still had another year on my contract as assistant and the board said they wanted to keep me. But after a couple of days I though ‘why not?’
“There were over 20 applications for the job and guys with more experience than me so I’m really proud to have been chosen.
“Although this is my first management job at this level, I was with Brechin for nine years and part of the set-up with Dick and Ian Campbell that won promotion.
“And I’ve been here for five years under Steven Tweed, Ray Farningham and Stuart.”
The aim for Shields next season won’t come as a surprise.
“The target I’ve set for myself is to get into the play-offs,” he said. “Over the last two years I think we’ve had a strong enough squad to do it, but injuries and players not being available have hurt us.
“We’ve only been a couple of wins away each time, so it’s not as if we’re a million miles off. I’m looking forward to putting a squad together and giving it a real go.”