Neill Collins hopes his appointment will prove ‘worth the wait’ after being named the new Raith Rovers manager.
The former Tampa Bay Rowdies and Barnsley head coach was announced as the new Stark’s Park boss on Tuesday.
The news came a lengthy 30 days after predecessor Ian Murray was sacked in the wake of the opening Championship game of the new season.
Chief executive Andy Barrowman insists Collins was Raith’s ‘top choice from very early in the process’ but that they ‘initially faced challenges in securing his services’.
Collins, who was sacked by Barnsley in April, appreciates the fans’ frustrations over delays in Rovers finding their new man.
However, with Aberdeen coach Peter Leven and Linfield boss David Healy having knocked back approaches, Collins is thrilled to have finally reach an agreement on a three-year deal.
“I’m absolutely delighted to be here,” he said. “I know it’s been a long time for some of the fans, waiting on what’s going to be next.
“But hopefully it’ll be worth the wait.
“Everything happens for a reason. I think people sometimes forget when you’re a football manager, the volatility of it.
“So, it’s never as straight forward as sometimes we would like.
Collins: ‘It’s a big decision’
“John [Potter] and Andrew [Barrowman[] have really done everything to try to make this happen.
“But when you’ve got not just yourself to think about in your career, but a family, with four kids, it’s a big decision.
“Especially how things ended in my last job. The next thing is important for so many reasons.
“I’ve always seen what a great job and a great opportunity this is. But it’s maybe taken a little bit longer to get to this point than some people would have liked.
“But I think it will be worth it in the end.”
He added to Raith TV: “Ultimately, there are a lot of factors that go into making this decision, especially so early in the season.
“It just took a bit longer. I might not have been sitting here had things worked out differently with other candidates.
“But, again, we are here and I really believe it’s going to be an exciting time ahead.”
Murray was relieved of his duties last month despite steering Raith to second spot behind Dundee United in last season’s Championship and then to the final of the Premiership play-offs.
He was convinced he would be able to go ‘one step better’ with the team this term.
A challenge
But, after two wins, a draw and two defeats in their opening five games of the new campaign, the axe fell.
It showed a ruthless side to the Stark’s Park hierarchy and a sense of urgency to achieve the goal of promotion back to the top-flight.
Collins is convinced he can take Rovers there, but has warned it will not be easy.
“It’s always a challenge when you take over any job, for many different reasons,” he continued. “But I’m coming into a team that almost achieved promotion last season.
“There’s a lot to live up to.
“But, equally, the club’s looking long and short-term. We know we’ve got talent in the building and we need to pick up from where we’ve started this season.
“But, for me, it’s just about how can we get better? How can we get better every day? And not just the team but individuals.
“Over a period of time, I think we can get this club back to where it needs to be.
“But it’s going to take an awful lot of hard work, not just from myself and the team but everybody at the club.
“We are still, I think, in the early stages of building. Last season was great and almost accelerated people’s expectations.
“But, make no mistake, where the club is just now and where we want to take it, there’s a lot of steps to come. And I want to be part of that.”
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