COVE RANGERS star Jordon Brown insists Paul Hartley was an inspiration at Aberdeen.

And he is adamant the new manager at the Balmoral is the perfect man to mastermind a rise through the leagues.

Brown, 26, was a youngster at Pittodrie when Hartley was the Reds’ club captain and insists the former Scotland internationalist was always on hand to give advice and aid the development of the Aberdeen kids.

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So he was delighted to see Hartley take the reins at Cove this week.

Brown said: “I know Paul well from our time together at Pittodrie, it will be great working with him again.

“He was my captain and always willing to take time to offer advice to and encourage the younger players like myself.

“Those who played in midfield, as Paul did, will find what he says helpful. I certainly did.”

Despite ultimately ill-fated stints with Dundee and Falkirk in his most recent roles, Hartley has proven pedigree for leading a surge through the divisions in the SPFL.

He guided Alloa from the old Third Division to the Championship and secured their survival in the second tier despite a modest budget and part-time status.

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And although Cove are about to embark on their first EVER season in league football, Brown believes Hartley is the right fit to ensure the ambitious Highlanders can set their sights even higher.

Brown added: “It is great to see a manager with the record Paul has arriving ahead of what we know is going to be a huge campaign for all of us.

“He got Alloa promoted two seasons in a row, which was a great achievement.

“We want to go as high as we can too and it can only help that we have a management team who have experience of what it takes to not only compete but also succeed in League Two.”