Neil McCann will be tasked with saving Kilmarnock from relegation after being appointed as the club’s new manager on a two-and-a-half year deal.
The 51-year-old takes over from Stuart Kettlewell, who was sacked last month after a dismal run of results that has plunged the Rugby Park club into trouble.
Killie have failed to win a league match since early October, a run which now spans 14 games, and currently sit second from bottom in the Premiership.
They are only four points ahead of bottom side Livingston, with the teams set to clash this weekend in what will be McCann’s first game in charge.
He takes over with the club five points adrift of safety and this will be his first crack at management since an interim spell with Inverness in 2021.
The former Rangers, Hearts and Scotland winger had been part of Barry Ferguson’s backroom team at Ibrox last season alongside Billy Dodds.
Billy Dodds and Neil McCann worked together last season as part of the interim management team at Rangers
McCann and Dodds worked under Barry Ferguson but left Ibrox after Russell Martin was appointed as the new boss
Dodds will now join McCann as his assistant at the Ayrshire club after the pair were hired on deals which run until the summer of 2028.
‘We fully understand how important it was to get this appointment right,’ read a statement from the Kilmarnock board.
‘After a thorough process, we are assured that Neil and Billy have the qualities, experience and character required to lead Kilmarnock Football Club forward.
‘We have complete faith in their ability to do what needs to be done to keep this club competing in the Scottish Premiership.
‘Both Neil and Billy know the Scottish league inside out, understand its demands and share a vision that aligns strongly with the culture and values of this football club.
‘This is a significant appointment for Kilmarnock FC. We are confident the players will adapt quickly to their leadership and respond positively to the clarity, belief and ambition they bring at a crucial moment for the club.’
After his spell on the coaching staff at Rangers last season, McCann had been working as a pundit on television over recent months.
His only other previous full-time management job was with Dundee between 2017 and 18.
He will now be asked to save Kilmarnock’s season and prevent the club from dropping back down to the Championship.
