GORDON SMITH knows there is a risk attached to every managerial appointment. He reckons Kilmarnock have mitigated it, though, by naming Angelo Alessio as their new boss.

The Italian was handed a three-year deal this week as the search for Steve Clarke’s successor at Rugby Park came to a surprising but interesting end.

Alessio has been assistant manager to Antonio Conte at Juventus, Chelsea and with the Italian national team and will now lead Kilmarnock into the Europa League before they look to maintain their status as the third-placed team in the Premiership.

The move to bring Alessio to Ayrshire is an intriguing one and Smith, who stared his career with Kilmarnock in the early 70’s, is pleased to see Billy Bowie and his board thinking outside the box this summer.

“It’s an incredible appointment,” Smith said. “It’s a bold one. The guy’s got a name, he’s been at a high level in the game, mainly as an assistant.

“It’s an interesting one because I always say that every managerial appointment is a risk. There’s never one that’s not a risk because at the end of the day a manager is like a chemical reaction between a manager and a group of players, you never know if that group of players are going to react to that manager.

“You’ve seen loads of occasions when a manger goes in and it just hasn’t worked. His reputation is high. Kilmarnock have taken a chance on it as well in terms of taking in somebody who is used to managing at a high level of late.

“I’m not saying Kilmarnock aren’t of a high level but Steve Clarke got more out of those players than anyone previously had, so you wonder if somebody can come in and actually continue that.

“That’s why I thought it was an amazing appointment. I was really shocked by it because when I heard he was a candidate I couldn’t believe he’d maybe want to come. It’s great for the game that someone like that is willing to come in.”

The loss of Clarke at the end of last season was a significant blow for Kilmarnock but assistant Alex Dyer remains at Rugby Park to bring continuity to the club and the team.

And Smith believes that could be crucial for Kilmarnock as Alessio becomes accustomed to life in Scotland and the game here in the coming weeks and months.

“The new manager will obviously take is opinion on board a lot but he will also have his own ideas,” he said. “No-one takes a manager’s job unless they are going to put their own ideas in place.

“You don’t only listen to the assistant although the assistant has a role to play. But he has obviously sold himself to the club in terms of what he has to offer.

“Alex Dyer being there is a help to start with because he is someone who can give him first class information on the players, the system, what they did. He might go down that line to start with and say ‘we’ll just keep playing that way because it’s worked for the club’.

“But at the end of the day if it’s not quite working or the players aren’t reacting to him you don’t know how it’s going to go. Give Kilmarnock credit but it’s always a risk.”

When Clarke made his final appearance at Rugby Park, he bowed out in style after leading his side to a victory over Rangers that secured third place in the standings and clinched a Europa League qualifying round berth.

His parting gift, he said, was the fact that three sides of the stadium were occupied by home supporters. For Smith, the appointment of Alessio will keep the locals interested and on board heading into the new campaign.

He said: “I think so. That was a crucial element, to finally do that at Kilmarnock after years of not getting that.

“Getting into Europe and finding that you are losing your manager, who has been fantastic…to a certain degree it’s a poisoned chalice to take this job, it’s like following Fergie at Man United or Aberdeen.

“Steve set a high bar, what do you do to maintain that. I think the new manager was born the week Kilmarnock won the league. It’s anniversary time for Kilmarnock.

“He was born the week they won the league, this is their 150th anniversary this year, and it was 50 years ago I signed s-forms for Kilmarnock…

“Wee things like that. It’s amazing to think given the level he’s been at, it’s a good sign for Scottish football that you have someone like that wanting to come in here.”

With less than a month to go before Alessio takes charge of his first competitive game as boss, time is of the essence for the Italian and the Killie board.

Clarke used his relationships within the game to bring the likes of Youssouf Mulumbu and Alex Bruce to Scotland. Now it is Alessio’s turn to put his stamp on a squad that has achieved terrific feats in the last two seasons.

Smith said: “He will even have contacts down in England as well with the people he knows. There will be an opportunity there to bring them in. It just depends.

“Steve Clarke didn’t need to do that, he did it with the players he had. He took over a team that was four points from eight games and got them into the top six that first season and then into Europe.

“It’s a very hard act to follow but Kilmarnock deserve credit. Because they got the fans back a name like this will attract them in.”