After a career that took in stops at Hibs, Rangers, Middlesbrough and Dundee, you’d imagine the environment at Kelty Hearts would be alien to Kevin Thomson.
However, the new Kelty gaffer says he’s been impressed by his part-time players and has hailed them for making his life easy.
Speaking after their 1-0 Premier Sports Cup Group B defeat to Dundee United on Friday night, Thomson lifted the lid on his first couple of months in the job.
He’s loving the challenges of managing at New Central Park and hopes the Fifers can keep up their levels later in the League Two season.
‘I’ve felt as though I’ve had so much time on my hands’
“Part-time football can be difficult,” the 36-year-old admitted.
“My wife’s not liking it but the kids are!
“But I’ve found it really easy, to be honest, because the boys have been great.
“Some boys are working day shift, some are night shift, Saturdays for extra money.
“It’s just the way it is. The Dundee United players aren’t going to go to work.
“We just need to make sure we look after the boys as best we can and keep everyone fit and safe.
“It’s up to us to try to create that environment where they come in and look forward to training.
“Because they’ve trained at a level we’ve been delighted with and the effort they’ve gave us, it’s been so easy.
“I’ve felt as though I’ve had so much time on my hands.
“Let’s see what we’re like at Christmas when the weather’s not so good!
“It’s going to be a challenge to make sure the energy we’ve got, the freshness we’ve got and the environment we’ve created – can we keep that when it’s p***ing down with rain and blowing a gale?
“Maybe there’s a couple of bad results. It’s going to come but we’re ready for the challenge ahead.”
More new faces to come
Thomson has been able to attract the likes of former Hibs and Dundee man Jordon Forster and ex-Rangers midfielder Jamie Barjonas to Kelty, utilising his network of contacts in the game.
Whether he’ll raid one of his former clubs again remains to be seen, but Thomson is targeting a couple more new faces ahead of their league campaign kicking off.
Providing an update on his squad, he stated: “Big Jordon Forster is missing, Dougie was carrying an injury, so was Tids and Hoops was suspended.
“We want to bring in one or two more.
“We’re looking to complement the squad and have put a few audacious bids over to a few different people that haven’t come off for us.
“I’m going to need to persuade some of these Premiership and Championship managers to give us some good players on loan!”
