FORMER Bantams manager Derek Adams has made a shock return to Scottish football, despite his Morecambe side being currently sat just two points off the League Two play-off places.

The Shrimps released a statement this morning confirming that the Scot had left the club to “pursue an opportunity elsewhere” and they will now have to begin the search for a new manager.

That ‘opportunity’ turned out to be at Scottish Premiership club Ross County, who sacked Malky Mackay last week after a poor run of form that has left them second-bottom of the table, above Livingston on goal difference only.

Though the move had not been made official at the time of Morecambe’s statement, Ross County officially announced that they had appointed Adams at 6pm today.

The Scot has had two previous spells at County, between 2007 and 2010, then 2011 to 2014, before he moved into English football with Plymouth Argyle in 2015.

After leading both the Pilgrims and Morecambe to promotion from League Two, City were hoping he could make it a hat-trick at Valley Parade.

But that did not come to pass, with Adams’ confrontational style and worsening results turning fans and the club against him.

He was sacked in February 2022, just eight months after taking charge of the club.

He returned to Morecambe soon after, keeping them in League One in 2021-22, but unable to prevent their relegation back to League Two in 2022-23.

But the Shrimps have made a solid start on their return to the fourth tier, and currently sit ninth with eight wins and three draws from their first 16 league games.

One of those victories came against the Bantams in August, where Adams masterminded a 3-0 home win for his side.