Airdrie United have appointed John Rankin as their new manager, putting him on a collision course with his old club Hamilton Accies. The former Hamilton Accies boss was in interim charge of Ayr United towards the end of the season before being let go at the end of the campaign. Rankin quit Accies in November last year after being fed up with chasing players' wages during a nightmare season for Accies on and off the pitch. He will now be tasked with getting Airdrie United back to the Championship following their relegation this term. A club statement from Airdrie read: 'We are delighted to announce the appointment of John Rankin as Airdrieonians head coach.' The 42-year-old former Hamilton Academical boss joins the club after a spell in interim charge at Ayr United, and the move to the Diamonds represents a homecoming for Airdrieonian John, who grew up in the town's Gartlea area. John was snapped up by English giants Manchester United at the age of 15, spending three years in the Old Trafford youth ranks. He carved out a distinguished career with over 100 appearances for Ross County, Hibernian, and Dundee United alongside spells at Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Falkirk, Queen of the South, and Clyde. The cultured midfielder also gained one Scotland B cap in 2006. Having performed under some big names in management, a move into the dugout was the natural next step for John, who joined Hamilton Academical as assistant head coach in December 2021, earning promotion to the head coach position six months later. John led Accies to an immediate return to the second tier, beating Inverness in the following season's promotion play-off. A short spell at Ayr United followed as Scott Brown left the Somerset club in March, and John departed at the end of the season having achieved his objective of keeping the Honest Men in the Championship. John was delighted to take on the head coach role at his hometown club, saying 'It's been a bit of a whirlwind, to be honest – obviously the phone went a couple of days ago, and my initial reaction was 'of course!' It's a blank canvas, I think there's only a handful of players. Everything needs built, and that's probably the point where you think you can put your own stamp on it.' The club are thrilled to welcome John aboard – and the hard work starts straight away for the new boss. John will be looking to make an instant impact at Airdrie United, with the club aiming to bounce back from relegation at the first attempt. He will be tasked with rebuilding the squad and creating a team capable of challenging for promotion. With his experience and knowledge of the game, John is the perfect man for the job. Airdrie United fans will be excited to see what the future holds under John's management, and they will be hoping that he can bring success back to the club.