Paul Hartley has been appointed manager of Scottish Championship side Cove Rangers.

It is the second time the former Celtic and Hearts midfielder has taken charge of the club after previously guiding them to promotion twice during his last spell.

He left the north-east club at the end of last season to join English League Two side Hartlepool United.

That did not last long, though, as he was sacked after only three months.

The 46-year-old replaces Jim McIntyre, who was relieved of his duties with Cove sitting eighth in the Scottish second tier.

In a statement on the club's official website, Hartley said: " I definitely think there is more to be achieved here.

"We put in a lot of hard work to get Cove Rangers up to the Championship, not just myself and Gordon, but a lot of other people behind the scenes, such as the chairman, who worked so hard over many years to push Cove up through the leagues.

“Now it is all about staying in the Championship. It is a big challenge; I know how difficult the division is.

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"There are teams fighting for their lives and our task will be to remain well clear of trouble.

“I’m delighted to be back. It feels like a homecoming and now I just can’t wait to get started.”

Club chairman Keith Moorhouse was keen to express how happy he was to have Hartley back in charge.

"As a club, we know Paul and how he works, and given his availability, this decision makes sense for both parties," he said.

"He understands Cove Rangers and shares our ambitions and given how well he worked with the players before, I am hoping the transition will be seamless.

“I want to look to the future now, and I feel we have the right man in place to take us forward.”

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