Michael Paton: Brechin City player-manager hopes to emulate Michael O'Neill
- Published
Michael Paton has played for seven different clubs
Michael Paton aims to follow in the footsteps of Michael O'Neill after taking over as player-manager at Brechin City.
Paton, 31, is the SPFL's youngest boss and took charge in November.
Stoke City and former Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill also started his coaching career at Glebe Park and Paton played under him.
"I am not really surprised at how far he has gone on and the success he has had," he told BBC Scotland.
"I would love to follow in the footsteps of Michael and what better club to start at. He is an inspiration where he is now, he started at part time level and I took a lot of experience and tips.
"Even at such a young age, Michael would stay an extra half an hour after training and work on my touch, my turning, my finishing and you could see he was a real player's manager."
Former Aberdeen striker Paton is still waiting for his first win in charge - having overseen one while caretaker - and will prepare Scottish League Two's bottom side to face Stenhousemuir away on Saturday.
"I have played in every league in Scotland now, I know what it takes to win these types of leagues," he explained.
"We are only six games in, we have still got 21 left, I don't see why we can't be aiming for the play-offs.
"I know we are sitting on three points but if you look at the gap between us and the play-offs you go on a run of four or five games and you are close.
'But as a club as a whole they will obviously be happy enough to be safe in the league because of the scare they got last year of maybe going into the Highland League."