Frank Kelleher believes he will bring a winning mentality to the Cork City set-up after he was appointed first team manager today.
Kelleher, who led the Cork City FC women’s team to FAI Cup glory in 2017, joins from Cobh Ramblers where he was academy manager.
“It’s taken me a long time to get to this level,” said Kelleher. “I’m an attention-to-detail person. I like problem-solving.
“I’m very honest people and I’ve won things at each team I’ve worked with. That’s an advantage. It means you know where you need to go and how you need to get there.”
From a practical point of view Kelleher also solves City’s most pressing puzzle, as he is a Uefa Pro Licence holder.
FAI rules mean Premier Division bosses must have completed their pro licence, and John Cotter is still studying his.
Dundalk faced a similar conundrum with Vinnie Perth, with John Gill coming in as first-team coach to back up head coach Perth.
Cotter will now assume the title first team head coach, with Kelleher first team manager.
Alan Bennett will remain as assistant head coach.
Eddie Hickey will remain as goalkeeping coach with Liam Kearney, Colin Healy, and Mick Punch as assistant first-team coaches.
Cotter said: “Frank has a passion for the club, he’s a local man, he’s worked with the club and you can never have too many of those people around you.
“He’s plenty of experience and it’s something all of us are going to learn from and tap into.”
Although he won’t officially begin his role until Wednesday, Kelleher’s input can’t come soon enough for a City side that has endured a nightmare season, which led to the dismissal of John Caulfield in May.
Last season’s league and cup runners-up are struggling in seventh place in the Premier Division and now a full 48 points behind leaders Dundalk.
More pertinently last Friday’s 4-1 thumping from Derry City at Turner’s Cross leaves the Leesiders 16 points behind the guaranteed European qualification places.
City travel to Finn Harps tomorrow (Ballybofey, 8pm), who climbed off the bottom of the table with victory over Sligo Rovers last weekend.
Graham Cummins, City’s scorer on Friday night, completed his move to Shamrock Rovers this afternoon, while James Tilley has also left Turner’s Cross as his loan period from Brighton ended.
Into the Cork squad comes Joel Coustrain, the Limerick attacker coming in on loan for the rest of the season from Rovers.