Darren Young emerges as next Alloa manager contender as Binos boss and ex Wasps captain in running to replace Brian Rice

Darren Young has emerged as a contender to replace Brian Rice at Alloa Athletic after his shock departure from Recreation Park for Livingston.

Former Aberdeen, Dunfermline and Dundee midfielder Young is currently in charge of League One rivals Stirling Albion who he led to the League Two title last season which saw him nominated for the PFA Scotland Manager of the Year alongside Ange Postecoglou, Stephen Robinson and James McPake. And despite just coming up this season they are level on points with Alloa and just four points off the play-off places.

Young spent three years as a player with the Wasps towards the end of the his career and was handed the captain’s armband by Paul Hartley where he helped lead them from the bottom to the second tier with successive promotions. He threw his hat into the ring to replace Hartley when he left for Dundee after his Clackmannanshire revolution in 2014 but Barry Smith landed the job.

After further playing spells with Albion Rovers and East Fife, the 45-year-old’s managerial break came at Cliftonhill where he led the Coatbridge outfit to the League Two title in his first season - the club’s first in 26 years. He spent three years at Rovers before his next managerial gig at East Fife and after three years at New Bayview his next dug-out role came at the Binos when he replaced his former Pittodrie team-mate Kevin Rutkiewicz two years ago.

Alloa are on the lookout for a manager after the sudden departure of Rice who left to assist David Martindale at the Tony Macaroni Arena.