'It was heartbreaking to see him go' - Conor McCarthy on Sean McLoughlin's Hull move

Cork City defender Conor McCarthy says it was "heartbreaking" to see Sean McLoughlin leave the club to move to English Championship side Hull City.

Former Ireland U21 defender McLoughlin completed a move to the Tigers last Friday, moving to the KCOM Stadium for an undisclosed fee.

While McCarthy prepares to face St Patrick's Athletic at Turner's Cross on Friday night, his old defensive partner will now be preparing for a trip to Swansea instead, in Hull's Championship opener.

"Sean's one of my best friends here, and it was heartbreaking to see him go," said McCarthy.

"But you know he obviously moved on to better things and I think he definitely has the potential. He's a great player and it is very well deserved.

"I'd like to think I could go to that level but obviously at the moment the focus is all on Cork City."

Meanwhile, City head coach John Cotter today moved to scotch rumours that Daire O'Connor would be leaving Turner's Cross for Sligo Rovers, with striker Ronan Murray moving in the other direction, as the transfer window closes tomorrow.

"There's no truth in that. Absolutely not. And obviously with the window closing tomorrow, there is going to be these rumours around. But there's no truth in that."

Cotter is hoping to bring in some new faces before the window shuts tomorrow.

"We'd hope something might happen. We have a couple things going on at the moment. But the main thing is before you pull any trigger to sign a player of that you have to be sure that a player wants to come to Cork and play in Cork and be good enough. To have the right character to come into a brilliant dressing room and brilliant lads.

"Anyone in the club will tell you this is as good a dressing room as we've had and then you need the right character to come in there as well."