FORMER Morton player and coach David Hopkin has today been appointed as the club’s new manager on a three-year deal.

The former Livingston and Bradford City boss joined the club this morning, replacing Jonatan Johansson, who left the Greenock outfit just before the Ton’s final game of the season against Dundee United only 11 days ago.

The club have moved quickly to find a replacement and it sees Hopkin become the fourth boss in just over 12 months at Cappielow.

Hopkin started off his professional playing career with the Ton back in 1989, spending three seasons before making the move down south to English Premier League side Chelsea.

He went on to play for Crystal Palace, Leeds United and Bradford before moving back up to the Ton in 2002, spending one more season at the club before hanging up his boots.

He had a brief spell in charge as jointcaretaker manager with Derek Collins before leaving the club at the end of the season.

He rejoined the Cappielow outfit in 2012 as a joint-reserve team manager alongside Johansson.

But after Morton manager Allan Moore was sacked, Hopkin was drafted in again on a temporary basis as caretaker boss, later becoming Kenny Shiels’ assistant before he resigned from that position in 2014.

He then moved on to Livingston, first as Mark Burchill’s assistant before taking on the top post at the end of 2015.

While he couldn’t prevent Livi’s relegation from the Championship, he then secured back-to-back promotions for the Lions, sealing a play-off final victory over Partick Thistle to secure the West Lothian side’s place in the Premiership.

Hopkin left the club last summer after securing their promotion to the top flight, and was a favourite for the Ton job shortly after Jim Duffy was sacked last summer, but the club ended up appointing Ray McKinnon.

Hopkin took charge of his former side Bradford City in September 2018, replacing Michael Collins after just six games into their League One campaign.

However, the 48-year-old resigned from the Bantams after less than six months in charge after he was unable to drag Bradford away from the relegation zone, and they were eventually relegated to League Two after finishing bottom of the table.

Hopkin, who stays locally, has also been back to Cappielow this season to attend games.