Matthews keen to start work in Cork

Cork City’s incoming manager Alan Matthews said today that he is keen to get started in his new job.

Speaking to the Evening Echo newspaper from Puerta Banus near Marbella in Spain, Matthews said that he will be home later today and would hope to be in Cork by the weekend.

“Once I tidy up one or two things, job wise and on the home front, then I will throw myself headlong into the Cork job,” he explained.

“I am keen to go down and get started and get the pre-season up and running as soon as possible,” said Matthews who is taking a two-year leave of absence from his job with the Ulster Bank’s corporate markets sector to take up the reins at Turner’s Cross.

“I intend to take leave of absence from the bank and this will be the first time that I have had a full-time post in domestic football.

“Even at Longford over the years, you ended up working five nights a week most of the time but this is a great opportunity for me,” said Damien Richardson’s successor.

Denis O’Sullivan, Arkaga’s operations director in Ireland, confirmed that a press conference would be held in Cork, possibly on Thursday, to formally introduce Matthews as the new club manager.

“We want to start off on a positive footing and the sooner we make the official announcement the better.

“The plan is to go back pre-season at Bishopstown next Monday morning,” he added.

Cork City are expected to strengthen their squad in the coming weeks with former crowd favourite George O’Callaghan, Jamie Harris, Bobby Ryan and Longford top scorer Dave Mooney linked with moves to the Cross.

Article courtesy of the Evening Echo newspaper.