Airdrie players pulling for Rhys McCabe after 'brave and natural' appointment, says Calum Gallagher

Calum Gallagher admits Airdrie made a brave move in appointing his team-mate Rhys McCabe as player-manager – but he insists the 29-year-old is a natural leader who has the full backing of the squad.

The Diamonds striker has signed up for another season at New Broomfield after netting 16 goals in 43 appearances last season, just three shy of top scorer Callum Smith.

But over the summer there has been a huge change in the backroom with Ian Murray’s four-year managerial reign ending with a switch to Raith Rovers and McCabe becoming his successor.

McCabe is the youngest boss in the SPFL and while Gallagher acknowledges it was a bold choice, he believes it was the right one to ensure Airdrie keep building on the great foundations of last season, which saw them push Cove Rangers all the way for the League One title before just missing out on promotion in the play-off final to Queen’s Park.

The 27-year-old said of the appointment: “It is really exciting.

“It was very brave of the club to go and appoint him.

“But we’ve really cultivated something over the last couple of years in terms of our own spirit, ethos and way of doing things.

“I think we were all reluctant to see that change with the appointment of someone with different ideas, so it suited us.

“The core group, the board and Rhys are in a position to build on all the good things we have in place, rather than going to the manager merry-go-round.

“It will come with its own challenges but the spirit is so high in this group, we will all be pulling in the right direction.

“Rhys will be the figurehead and the leader of it all, but it will be a real collective effort this season

“I think one of the reasons the board made the decision is because they know Rhys knows the calibre