Kris Lindsay is up for Dungannon Swifts challenge

Lindsay replaces Rodney McAree who left the club to take over at Coleraine after Bannsiders boss Oran Kearney moved to St Mirren.

And Lindsay - who was coach at Glenavon before joining the Swifts - can’t wait to get started.

“This is my first job as manager and I have never hid the fact that I would like to eventually move into management.

“For the last year and a half I have been first team coach at Glenavon and it has been a very steep learning curve.

“It was great because I got to work with the players while seeing what happens behind the scenes.

“As a player you turn up and you train and you head home.

“But when you are on the backroom staff it is not that easy. There is more preparation to do and there is loads of work to be dome around match day and it has wetted my appetite - so when this opportunity came along you can’t let them pass you by.

“I have wanted to manage, so when the chance came to manager Dungannon I jumped at the chance,” he added,

The Swifts are struggling at present but had a good victory over defending champions Crusaders on Tuesday night and Lindsay says he is arriving at the club at the right time.

“It is a great club and they have a great squad of players out there on the pitch.

“It is a good squad of quality players who are experienced players who know this league and they are younger than you think.

“There are a number of players who are at the peak of their careers.

“There are quality players all over the pitch and it is up to me to move the team up the league - but I am excited to be working with these players.

“We are sitting 11th in the league at the minute, so we will be looking to put a run together and move up that table. Short term goals are to win back to back matches. We beat Crusaders the other night and now we have to go out and win again.”