THE opportunity to link-up with a close pal helped lure Steven Whittaker away from East End and head south of the border.

The 37-year-old, who joined Dunfermline in 2020 as a player / coach, left the club at the end of last week to join Fleetwood Town, where will be assistant head coach to Hill of Beath native, Scott Brown.

The former Celtic and Scotland skipper, who was spotted in and around Athletic towards the end of the season after leaving Aberdeen in March, has secured the services of his former Hibernian and national side team-mate for his first managerial role.

READ MORE: Pars manager Hughes leaves East End

Whittaker was initially signed by Stevie Crawford as a player / coach in the summer of 2020, and made 24 appearances as the Pars reached the Premiership play-offs.

After retiring from playing to concentrate on coaching, under Crawford’s replacement, Peter Grant, he remained on the staff after John Hughes’ arrival in November, which saw Athletic at the foot of the Championship.

They failed, however, to finish outside the bottom two and, after entering the Championship play-offs, were relegated after a second leg defeat to Queen’s Park in the semi-final.

The club have said that its footballing departments and squad plans are “under review”, but Whittaker is relishing the chance of linking-up with Brown in England’s League One.

He told Fleetwood’s website: “I’m delighted to be able to come down here and get this opportunity, it’s a big club and a great place for us to get started.

“As the job started getting a little bit closer, we started doing our homework in terms of looking at what we have to work with and the changes we might make so there is a lot to do and sort, but we are up for the challenge.

“It is all about the hard work you put into it in regards to what you get back so we are ready for the challenge and are looking forward to it.

“When we both talk about football, it’s mostly similar ideas as we’ve played under some top coaches over the years. There will be bits that we’ll have different opinions on, but Scott is the manager, he will have the deciding say.

“It’s my job to challenge things I’m not sure on and that is how it’s going to work.”

Whittaker revealed that his and Brown’s families are so close that they holiday together, adding: “Scott was a winner on the park, and we are hoping that this will come across to the team he is going to manage here at Fleetwood.

“Off the pitch, he’s bubbly, friendly and gets along with everyone – completely different from what you may have seen of him as a footballer – he’s a top guy.”

Their bid for success has been aided by another former Hibernian team-mate, Kelty Hearts boss, Kevin Thomson, who told Press Sport: “I’m delighted for them.

“Obviously not just as a friend, but just as a football fan in general, I’ll be as big a fan as any. Fingers crossed they can be successful.”