GARY CALDWELL admits Partick Thistle's vision for the future convinced him to kick-start his managerial career at Firhill.

The former Wigan Athletic and Chesterfield boss was appointed as Alan Archibald's successor on Monday.

The Jags legend was sacked following a poor start to the Championship campaign and chief executive Gerry Britton was in the dugout for the defeat to Dundee United at the weekend as Thistle missed the chance to gain ground on their promotion rivals.

Now Caldwell, who will be assisted by Brian Kerr, will take charge of the Jags for the first time against Alloa on Saturday as he looks to guide his side back to the Premiership this term.

Caldwell said: “First and foremost, I am extremely excited to be here. Right from my first interaction with the Club, I have been impressed with how the organisation is run.

"It very quickly became clear to me that there are positive and exciting plans in place, backed up by a strong structure from top to bottom.

“There is a huge amount of potential in this squad. But it won’t happen overnight.

"We can’t do it on our own either, I need support from the fans and so do the players. If we are together, I have no doubt we can achieve a massive amount.”