John Coughlin sets his sights on league success at Shire

The former St Mirren, Berwick Rangers and Stenhousemuir manager has been out of the senior game for nearly six months after resigning from his post at the Ochilview club last December.

Coughlin, who replaces Jim McInally, is looking to repeat the success he had at Berwick, when he guided them to the Third Division title in 2007, and the Warriors whom he guided to promotion in 2009.

"I am excited to be back in the game and cannot wait to get going," he said. "East Stirling finished in the lower half of the table this season and that is much the same position that both Berwick and Stenhousemuir were in when I went there.

"I enjoyed leading those clubs up the table and it would be great to do the same at The Shire, although it is mainly about rebuilding the team at the moment."

He added: "We have a couple of players signed at the moment, and my first priority will be to talk to the 15 players from last season's squad that offers were made to but we have not heard back from."

Coughlin is hoping to take Matt Kerr, his former assistant at Shielfield and Ochilview, and other members of his backroom team to his new club.