St Johnstone appoint Simo Valakari as their new manager
The Finn replaces Craig Levein following his sacking
Simo Valakari is the new St Johnstone manager.
The Finn takes over the McDiarmid Park hot seat from Craig Levein, who was sacked last month.
As a player, the 51-year-old was a popular figure during four seasons with Motherwell before signing for Derby County in 2000.
And in management, Valakari, who has won three Finnish Cups and finished runner-up in the league four times with two different clubs, had a spell as assistant manager of his national team, and has been in charge of Norwegian club Tromso.
After signing his contract, Simo said: “I am very happy, very excited and very proud that St Johnstone have made me their head coach.
“We have so many opportunities to make this an exciting journey and the most important thing is that we are all in this together - the players, the staff and most importantly the fans.
"We want you, the fans, to engage with us as a team and we can be even more powerful together.
“When I spoke to the owners and the football department, I got really excited about this project.
"I looked at our team as a whole and our players.
"Of course the results recently have not been as positive as we would like, but I see a lot of potential in the players that we have here.
“That was the first thing for me, we have a potential.
"Now I look at the process of how we can take our team and our club forward.
“In football there is no time to waste, every minute of training counts, so I am excited to get started.
"I am looking forward to meeting the players and we will become strong.”
Simo also had a message for the St Johnstone fans, adding: “It is my job, along with the staff and the players, to engage the fans.
“First we need to play exciting football and show that we all care for the badge that we are playing for.
"Then you, the St Johnstone fans, will help us and together we can create something special.”
Simo moved to Latvia in 2023 and led FK Auda to their highest finish in the league, third, before moving to Riga, who sit second in the league.
Owner Adam Webb said: “Simo rose to the top after an extensive hiring process and interviews with several great candidates.
“He has a remarkable vision for the future of St Johnstone. Simo's experience, enthusiasm and creativity will serve us well in the years ahead.”