ARDEER Thistle boss Sean Kenney has admitted he had doubts over signing a contract extension with the club.

The manager made the admission in an end-of-season interview with the club's social media team.

Kenney signed on for next season shortly before the side's relegation to the West of Scotland Football League (WoSFL) Third Division was confirmed - but he said it wasn't the Stevenston side's impending relegation which made him consider his future.

On signing the contract, he told the club's media team: “Truthfully, yes (there was doubt). It’d be easy to come and say no but of course there was doubt.

“I’d imagine there was doubt in the committee's mind, whether they wanted it.

“I had a meeting with the chairman and the secretary last week and told them things will need to change – the club needs to change.

“That includes myself and on the pitch – from top to bottom, everything needs to be better.

“It’s alright just saying that and putting words out there but I had a couple of things I said that needs done.

“I’m happy to stay if that gets done and if I’m allowed to do things that I need to do.”

Though Kenney added that assurances have been given to him that this will be the case, and now he is gearing up for next season.

And the boss emphasised that these doubts shouldn't worry fans moving forward.

He added: “It’s good to have these thoughts, because at the end of the day I don’t want to just be here for the sake of being here.

“We don’t need to be here, we want to be here, we want to do it properly.

“I want to manage Ardeer and I want to make it successful.”

And already, preparations are underway for Ardeer's attempt to return to the Second Division at the first time of asking.

Though Kenney is not under any false illusions that this will be a straightforward task.

The manager commented: “We know a lot of the teams that are in the league and it’s always hard games.

“What you’re going to have there is seven, eight, nine teams that believe they can go and win the league.

“It’s not going to be a case of going down and we can just stroll back up, we’re going to have to dig in really deep.

"Relegation was disappointing but it’s not fatal – the good thing with football is you get another chance to go again.”