FORMER Tranent Juniors boss Calum Elliot feels he has left the club in a good place after his shock resignation last Wednesday.

The ex-Hearts striker (pictured inset) spent nearly two years in charge at Foresters Park, guiding the club to the East of Scotland Football League Premier Division title last season before defeating St Cuthbert Wanderers, South of Scotland Football League winners, then Darvel, champions of the West of Scotland Football League, to secure a spot in the Scottish Lowland Football League (SLFL).

Elliot described the decision to walk away from the club as “a really difficult one”.

He said: “I could have left at the end of last season after the success.

“For me, I always wanted to leave the club in an incredibly strong position on the park. I did not feel at that time that the squad we had was ready to go and compete and have a right good go at that league.

“When I left the job, I wanted the next person to come in and put the key in the car and be ready to go.

“I feel I have done that and the team that is there is very competitive against any team in that league.”

Life for Tranent without Elliot began on Saturday at Newtown Park, where the visitors moved level in the table with hosts Bo’ness United after a 2-0 win.

The Belters were back in action on Tuesday when they hosted Gala Fairydean Rovers, with the backroom duo of Paul Parkin and Fergus Lockhart again at the helm.

Former Hibernian striker Colin Nish has now taken on the manager's role on a permanent basis.

Elliot told Courier Sport he wished the club well in the future and said: “I have got nothing but fond memories from my time at Tranent.

“It was just success after success.

“We never lost consecutive games. When we did suffer a defeat in the league, we always bounced back and went on a run.

“Winning the league on the last day of the season and then going through the play-offs in the manner we did, it is something I do now, on reflection, take time to look back and process how big an achievement that was.

“I loved my time there and I have got nothing but fond memories of the success that we had.

“I just thought it was the right time to seek a new challenge, whatever that may be.”

The deadline for applications for the vacant position is tomorrow (Friday).

David Innes, chairman of Tranent Juniors, confirmed there had been “a lot of interest” in the role.

He described Elliot’s resignation as “a shock to the club” and said: “It came out of the blue and we did not see it coming at all.

“I spoke to him last Tuesday when he phoned me at night and said he was going to resign and had taken the club as far as he could. He did not elaborate on that.

“I wanted him to stay but he had made his mind up.”