Queen's Park confirm appointment of Robin Veldman as new head coach - 'I got a warm feeling'

Queen’s Park have confirmed the appointment of Dutchman Robin Veldman as their new head coach.

Robin Veldman was in charge of the Anderlecht first team for a couple of months last season.

The Spiders, who narrowly missed out on winning the cinch Championship title to Dundee last season and then lost in the play-offs to Partick Thistle, have been looking for a new manager to succeed Owen Coyle and have landed 37-year-old Veldman, who left Belgian club Anderlecht earlier this month. Veldman, who has agreed a three-year contract, tasted success in Brussels with Anderlecht’s future team and was briefly in caretaker charge of the first team between October and December last year before Brian Riemer took over. A former coach at SC Heerenveen and AFC Ajax, Veldman has vowed to bring “attractive” football to Queen’s Park and there will be a continued emphasis on promoting youth players into the first team.

“From the first moment I contacted the club I got a warm feeling,” said Veldman, who will be assisted by compatriot Paul Nuijten, who joined the club last November from Willem II. “Both Queen’s Park and I are hungry to perform well. Last season the club was close to promotion, but our goal is to achieve success with attractive, dominant football. That's what we're going for. The vision to field young players, in an attractive playing style, appeals to me enormously.”

Queen’s Park’s director of football Marijn Beuker revealed that Veldman quickly became the Hampden outfit’s primary target. “We were looking for a specific profile for our new Head Coach and took time to analyse different candidates,” explainer Beuker. “With Robin’s experience at two of Europe’s biggest clubs, his track record of developing young talents and the style his teams play in, he quickly became our ideal candidate. We have spoken extensively about the vision, style of play and providing opportunity to young players in the first team. They were good conversations which are aligned with the direction this club wants to go in.”

The club’s chief executive Leeann Dempster added: “We are pleased we’ve been able to bring Robin to Glasgow’s southside. It’s an appointment that fits with our long-term strategy at Queen’s Park. I know that he cannot wait to get working on the training pitch and I’m looking forward to seeing how our team develops.”