Gary Naysmith is to become the new manager of Ayr United, according to the BBC, with the appointment set to be formalised once he has completed the Scottish Championship play-off campaign in his current role at Stenhousemuir.
The BBC reports that Naysmith, a former Scotland international full-back, will move to Somerset Park after honouring his commitment to Stenhousemuir through the play-offs. The timing means Ayr must wait before their incoming manager can begin work, though the arrangement reflects a degree of goodwill toward a club still competing for a place in the Championship.
Naysmith built his playing career as a dependable, attack-minded left-back, earning caps for Scotland over a period that stretched across clubs on both sides of the border. His transition into management has taken him through the lower tiers of Scottish football, and his work at Stenhousemuir — a club operating well below the level of Ayr United — will now serve as his most visible audition before stepping up.
Ayr United compete in the Scottish Championship, the second tier of Scottish football, and the appointment signals the club's intent to stabilise and push forward under a manager with recognisable credentials in the Scottish game. The play-off window that delays his arrival is a relatively brief one, meaning the new managerial era at Somerset Park should begin before the summer is far advanced.
What Naysmith inherits at Ayr, and the precise terms of his appointment, have not yet been disclosed.