Family affair as Airdrie appoint cousins in player-manager move after Ian Murray's switch to Raith Rovers

Former Rangers and Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Rhys McCabe is the new manager of Airdrie.

The Diamonds have appointed the 29-year-old as Ian Murray’s successor in a player-manager role, assisted by team-mate, captain – and cousin – Callum Fordyce.

With Scott Agnew following Murray to Fife the club required a new coaching team to take over and made the internal appointment on Wednesday night.

McCabe, who began his career at Ibrox and has also had spells at Portsmouth, Sligo Rovers and Queen of the South, said he was “excited, raring to go and looking forward to getting onto the pitch.”

Coaching also runs in his family too with McCabe’s aunt former Scotland boss Shelley Kerr.

He added: “I’ve always made it clear that towards the latter stages of my career it was an avenue I’d like to go down. Obviously the opportunity has come up to dive straight in, so it’s one that I’m excited about.”

His first job will be to re-build the Diamonds side which missed out on promotion to the Championship with a play-off defeat to Queen’s Park.

As well as Murray and Agnew moving to Starks Park, fellow midfielder Dylan Easton has also moved on to the Kirkcaldy side.

Rhys McCabe. (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group)

The cousins are not the only family management team in Scottish football with Arbroath led by brothers Dick and Ian Campbell.

"I’ve known for years what [Fordyce] can bring on the pitch, the further on in his career you can see the leadership, style, thought and method behind him is exactly how I think as well. To work alongside Callum was a no brainer.”