NEW Yoker manager Steven Reilly insists it will be all change at Holm Park next season as his new regime get set to introduce a more professional approach at the club.

The 33-year-old takes over as player/manager from ex-boss John McAulay who had to leave the club due to work commitments. The defender spent last season playing for McAulay as he winds down a career that has seen him have spells at Motherwell, Hearts, Stirling Albion, Queen’s Park, Bo’ness United and Pollok.

While he remains committed to contributing on the park as a player, he is aiming to make a bigger impact off it, as he gets ready to take the club forward.

He has brought in former Whe Ho full back Graeme George and former St Johnstone, Airdrie, Partick Thistle and Dunfermline player Martin Hardie as coaches to aid him in his first managerial position.

He said: “It was a couple of days before the Player of the Year night that it was sprung on the club, John couldn’t take the job through work reasons.

“They took the opportunity to get things tied up quickly, I was asked on the Saturday. It only took me 24 hours to think about things because I had other options away from Yoker, but I couldn’t give up the opportunity to start my managerial career so early, while I’m still playing.

“I always planned to go into management, I’m just working towards my B licence just now. I had two years at Queen’s Park where I took the under-17s. I took two years out the game because of a bad injury and I thought that was me finished but I’ve managed to get back.

“Everybody will fight for their place in the team and there will be a different aura about the place, a more professional set up than what we are used to that’s for sure.

“John McAulay and John Dillon did the best they could with what they had in terms of commitments elsewhere and John was left on his own at times, which boys picked up on.

“I think a wee change in the professional side of things is needed. We want professionalism about the training, trialists coming in and seeing things, just different things that can open peoples’ eyes and let everyone know that Yoker are under new management and are hoping to go places.” While some players had already committed to the club before Reilly was given the job, key players were talking to other clubs and Reilly made it his first priority to get them signed.

He said: “John had a few players signed up but he didn’t have some of our more sought after players. The likes of John Harvey, Greg Maitland and Craig Winslow were still to be tied up, they were speaking to other clubs and I’ve managed to get them signed, so that was half the battle. That was a great boost for me and the club” Last season was a campaign of two halves for Yoker, only avoiding relegation from the Super League First on the last day of the season, but enjoying two cup runs to the Scottish Cup quarter-final and the Central League Cup semi-final.

In his first full campain, Reilly is not ruling out a promotion push.

He said: “At the start of the season we went six or seven unbeaten, which shows the squad we have got. We went on the Scottish Cup run to the quarter-finals and got a backlog of games and injuries and suspensions cost us.

“I think I know what we need to do and need to change. A good run in the league is what we’re hoping for, to be comfortable in the league would be an achievement but me and the coaches will be aiming for that play-off place that’s for sure.”