MAURICE Malpas has vowed to help take Town to the next level and revealed the freshness and ambition of the club's new owners have made it a "very exciting" set-up to be part of.

As revealed by the Advertiser's website on Saturday night, the former Scottish international will be appointed Swindon manager when Andrew Fitton's consortium finally complete their takeover, hopefully later this week, with caretaker boss Dave Byrne being made his assistant.

Chairman designate Andrew Fitton has appealed for fans to trust his board's appointment, claiming Malpas was "head and shoulders" above a high-quality list of other contenders, as he bids to bring some much-needed stability to the County Ground.

Malpas, 45, is a former Dundee United and Motherwell manager as well as overseeing Scotland under 21s on and off for the last 10 years.

He has worked under some of the game's best managers, including Jim McLean, and is determined to bring his undoubted coaching skills into full effect in Wiltshire.

Fitton & Co need to resolve the remaining issue with HMRC before they can take full control at SN1, and appoint Malpas, but the Dundee United stalwart insists the club's future will soon be in safe hands.

He said: "This is a very decent sized club and speaking to Andrew Fitton and Jeremy Wray you know the right people are on the board and they are the right people to take the club forward. I am looking forward to being part of this club moving to the next level.

"I was made to feel very excited about the club and for me there were no negatives at all. Fingers crossed everything goes through and we can get started.

"We have to set realistic goals and for me saying we should be in the Championship within three years is one of them. There is already a decent squad here, while it is important to add one or two as well."

Malpas topped a shortlist of seven which was understood to have included the likes of Martin Ling, Mickey Adams and Dave Hockaday and, after watching the draw with Swansea on New Year's Day and Saturday's FA Cup 1-1 draw with Barnet, he is relishing the opportunity.

"This is a wonderful opportunity for me and I am really looking forward to it," he said.

"You are always surprised when a job comes about. I applied for it and never heard anything for a while and obviously then you do start to worry.

"But after I spoke to Andrew Fitton and Jeremy Wray things went quickly and it has been good. I am looking forward to getting in and hopefully bring a bit of freshness to things.

"I watched the Swansea game on New Year's Day and the atmosphere the crowd generated was absolutely magnificent. That really whet the appetite and now I can't wait to get in and get may hands dirty.

"I am frustrated now because I thought after the takeover it would get done. It has come into the press quicker than we thought but I can't come in yet.

"I have to take a week or so and that is frustrating."

Malpas will be joined on the sidelines by caretaker boss, and Town's head of youth Dave Byrne, with the Scot anticipating their two different characters to blend together well.

He said: "I know Dave Byrne well. We both played in Scotland and I also know him through Paul Sturrock when they were at Plymouth.

"He will be a big help in allowing me to hit the ground running because he knows the players in the squad very well and he also knows the teams in this league very well. There will be no mad panic for me to start judging players.

"It will be a crafty Cockney with a canny Scot. I love getting involved on the training ground though because I am coach first and foremost, that is where I am happiest."

Malpas, who already knows Craig Easton and Hasney Aljofree from his days at Dundee United, was also quick to emphasise the importance he will be attaching to the club's youth team.

Youth products Ben Tozer and Lukas Jutkieiwcz have already gone onto Premier League clubs and Malpas believes it is vital they keep developing homegrown products.

He said: "The youth team was the selling point of me. They were keen to develop the youngsters and coming through Dundee United that was drummed into us.

"Dave Byrne has done brilliantly in the last 14 to 15 months. We have obviously sold on Ben Tozer and Lukas Jutkiewicz and that is something we are keen on improving and making a big part of the club.

"Hopefully we can get these players into our first team though before they go on anywhere else."