DUNFERMLINE aim to make a quick appointment of a replacement for John Hughes after insisting the vacant post is ‘still a great job’, despite relegation to League One.

Hughes stepped aside on Thursday following failure to keep the Pars in the Championship after their dramatic play-off defeat to Queen’s Park.

With rivals Raith Rovers and Dundee also currently seeking a new manager, as well as suggestions Stuart Taylor could leave Hamilton Accies, Dunfermline are aware there could be stiff competition for whoever they identify as the ideal candidate.

Chief executive David Cook, who has also taken on the chairman’s role since the departure of Ross McArthur, said: “We’ve spent a bit of time thinking about the particular profile we’re looking for in the next manager of Dunfermline Athletic.

“We’ve got a pretty clear idea in our minds of what that’s going to look like. Now, it’s about matching candidates.

“One thing I will say is the Dunfermline Athletic job is still a great job. We’ve got a great stadium here, a good fanbase, great projects going on in terms of developing our own academy and training base.

“So, for hungry and ambitious managers, I’m sure they’ll look at the task of helping Dunfermline Athletic as a really exciting one.”