Ex-Hibs striker Jonatan Johansson named manager of TPS Turku in Finland

Finn played ten times for Hibs in 2008/09 season

Jonatan Johansson in action for Hibs during the 2008/09 season

Former Hibs striker Jonatan Johansson has been named the new head coach of Finnish side TPS Turku.

The 44-year-old has taken the reins at the Veritas Stadion and replaces Tommi Pikkarainen after an inauspicious start to the Veikkausliiga campaign.

Tepsi have lost all four games so far and are anchored at the foot of the league.

They were relegated to the second tier after the 2018 season but after finishing second in the Ykkonen and beating KPV in the promotion / relegation play-offs last October, returned to the top flight.

Johansson, who signed a two-year deal with the option of a third, told the TPS website: “It is a great honour for me to be able to return to this club for a third time.

"During my time here as a youngster, I gained responsibility and the opportunity to go abroad as well. I also got to end my playing career with TPS.

"The club really means a lot to me and now there are new challenges ahead as head coach.

"I will come to Turku this weekend, get to know the team, and after that the hard work begins.”

Johansson had two spells as a player with TPS, scoring six goals in 38 games for the club in the 1995/96 season before returning in 2010. He netted ten times in 19 appearances before hanging up his boots and moving into coaching, initially with Morton and Motherwell.

After spells as assistant boss at Rangers and with the Finnish national team, he was appointed manager of Morton in September 2018, departing the following May after 9 wins in 34 games.

Club chairman Jouko Peräaho added: “He has a great and successful playing career behind him and international coaching experience, as well as his own personal history with TPS.

"The club’s centenary is approaching [in 2022] and we are looking for a fresh new identity which must be reflected in all our activities.

“We had already identified head coach candidates for next season. We found the best possible option and the selection process was speeded up by TPS’ weak start in the league.”

Former Easter Road midfielder Jarkko Wiss is currently manager of Ilves, and the two former Hibees will go head to head when their sides meet in late September.

TPS Turku host FC Lahti on Saturday before travelling to Lapland to take on RoPS on 1 August.