COLDSTREAM have appointed Berwick Rangers defender Jonny Fairbairn as the club’s new manager.

The 28-year-old UEFA B licence holder will become the youngest manager in the club’s history when he takes charge on April 29 after his contract as a Berwick Rangers player expires.

The appointment, which follows Grant Davidson’s decision in February to step down after nearly three years in charge, gives Fairbairn the opportunity to work with the current squad before the season ends and start planning ahead for 2018/19.

His first match in charge will be Coldstream’s final East of Scotland League game of the season, away to Preston Athletic on May 5, followed by the King Cup second-round tie away to Tynecastle on May 12.

Coldstream chairman David Lauder said: “It’s very exciting news for the club.

"Jonny has been a fantastic player at League Two level for many years and will be a great role model for our younger players.

"He ticks all the boxes and has impressed us with his vision and enthusiasm. We look forward to welcoming him to Coldstream from April 29 and thank Berwick Rangers for their cooperation.”

Fairbairn lives in Milfield, Northumberland, just nine miles south of Coldstream.

He earned his UEFA B coaching licence in the summer of 2016 and will begin to study towards his UEFA A licence this summer, as well as starting the tutorial stage to obtain his UEFA elite youth A licence.

Over the past two seasons he has been coaching at Berwick Rangers, both with the club’s academy team and under-20 side.

He will be registering as a Coldstream player for next season, but only as back-up and intends to concentrate on what will be his first managerial role from the technical area rather than the pitch.

“I’ve been aiming to pursue a career in coaching for some time and this is the perfect platform for me to take on my first managerial role,” he said.

“I live locally, so I know many of the players already and I’ll be aiming to strengthen the squad for next season.

"I’ve had very productive meetings with the Coldstream committee and I’ve been impressed by what they’ve had to say and couldn’t have asked for a more supportive chairman and committee who match my own ambitions.

"Coldstream FC is a proper football club, run by good people. I’m delighted to be given this opportunity and I’m incredibly excited about getting the job started properly.”

As a player, Fairbairn signed Berwick Rangers in 2012 following a spell in the United States and went on to become club captain.

He was initially in the Berwick Rangers reserve squad before rising into the first-team and since 2013 has been an ever-present at centre-back.

Former Berwick boss Colin Cameron awarded him the captaincy in the summer of 2015, a role he retained under John Coughlin, but he has since dropped out favour under new manager Robbie Horn and recently spent a month on loan at Tranent Juniors.

Fairbairn explained: “Since starting my coaching career, I’ve been leaning more and more towards turning my full attentions to management. I have been planning to make the switch from player to manager at the end of this season for a while."

He added: “I was proud to be club captain and I’ll always have an affection for Berwick Rangers, but this was an opportunity I could not turn down. I look back on my professional playing career with pride, alongside the reputation I have built within the game. This experience, as well as my passion for coaching and eagerness to learn, leads me to believe that I’ve got a lot to give back to the game in my coaching career.

“I’d like to thank Berwick Rangers for the opportunity to enjoy a professional career in the game and for allowing me to enter talks with Coldstream and make this happen.”