FORMER Alloa captain Darren Young admits he is looking forward to returning to the club as a manager in the new season.

The Albion Rovers boss was sad to see the Wasps relegated from the Championship last season, but reckons the success they have had over the past five years can help them bounce straight back.

The veteran midfielder revealed he cannot wait to pit his wits against his friend Jack Ross in the coming season, but has no doubt he is the man to put the Wee County side back on the right path.

Young told Advertiser sport: “It was obviously sad to see the club relegated last season, but they had a great wee run with four or five years of success. It was a real fairytale story for them to go all way up from the bottom league to the Championship and they held their own for three years, but maybe last year was a season too far for them. There is no doubt now though that there is a good chance of them being one of the stronger teams in the league this season and with the squad they have assembled I am sure they will be looking to bounce back.

“I am really looking forward to returning to the club as an opposition manager. I had a brilliant time at the club and lifting the third division trophy will always be one of my fondest memories in football. We won titles, playoffs and promotions in my time there so I have only love for the club. We had a special group of boys there at the time and many of us are still close friends to this day so that is a testament to how good that side was. The feel good factor we had in that dressing room is half the battle in football and I have tried to instil that in my Albion Rovers players.

“I know Jack Ross well and I don't doubt for a minute that he will be a big success at Alloa. He has been there and done it as a player and got his badges all done very quickly. I believe he is going places as a coach as well and I have a lot of respect for his a person as well. It will be interesting to go head to head with him for the first time, but I know he will have Alloa up there challenging this season.”

Young revealed how he has been left frustrated by his former club this summer after not only missing out to them for a number of transfer targets, they have also recruited his club physio.

The Coatbridge side have retained the core of the squad that saw them narrowly miss out on the playoffs last term and their gaffer believes he can replicate that success if he can add the right players in the next few weeks ahead what he believes will be a highly competitive League One campaign.

He said: “I have actually missed out of three or four players myself to Alloa this summer and they have even nabbed my physio Jordan! They look strong as a result of that, but it will be a highly competitive league that they are coming into this season. It is almost a completely new league from last year where we narrowly missed out on the playoffs. There are four new teams and a lot of teams will chop and change their squads as well with it being a mainly part time league so it will be interesting to see how the league develops over the first few months.

“It is exciting to be a part of it again and we have managed to retain a core of 12 players from last season and the only one we have really lost is Ally Love who has gone to Brechin and got himself a two year deal there so we wish him all the best. I am still looking for four or five guys to bolster my squad and I like most teams my priority is trying to bring in a striker. We have one of the smallest budgets in the league so our main aim is first and foremost to stay in the league and then anything else after that is a bonus.”

The 37-year-old was delighted to earn his A Licence coaching badge from the SFA last week and

says it feels like forever since he began the journey coaching young kids at Alloa.

Young added: “I was delighted to get my A license badge last week and it has been long a journey get there since starting out coaching with the Wasps community club. It is a good feeling to achieve it and now I have to look to do my pro-licence.”