Tim Clancy recruits Jamie Hamill to Cork City backroom staff and promises 'multiple' signings

Newly-appointed Cork City head coach Tim Clancy speaks to the media for the first time during a press conference at Turner's Cross.

New Cork City manager Tim Clancy has promised “multiple” new signings have been agreed but his first announcement was a recruit to his backroom team in Jamie Hamill.

The pair played together for four seasons at Kilmarnock, while Hamill, now 37, also represented Hearts during his 10 years in the Scottish top flight.

Upon retirement, he stepped into management at Stranraer where he spent two seasons in charge of the Scottish League Two side before departing the club last April.

“It will be good for him to bring in his experience and a new voice to the group,” said Clancy.

Richie Holland, who ended the season as interim manager, will remain on while there will also be continuity in the strength and conditioning and goalkeeping coaches and medical team.

While Clancy said the club wasn’t yet in a position to announce new signings until paperwork and medicals are completed, deals have been done with several players.

“From the second I got the job, we’ve been in the background making a lot of progress.

“Come the next week or so, we’ll be making announcements. We’ve got the signings done but it has to be subject to paperwork and medicals as well.

“There's players on retainers, there's contracts there, there's other ones that are under contract. We've done multiple ones from outside the club as well.

“Yesterday and in the coming days, there'll be other ones but until we actually get them down here and sign and do the medicals, we can't release anything.” He also insisted that a smaller budget in the First Division won’t impact their ability to attract the right type of players.

“It shouldn't be difficult at all, especially with the age profile you want to be looking at. We want to build for the future, not just for next season.

“If players get an opportunity to play for a club this size and use next season as a season to prove themselves and then kick their career on, it shouldn't be too difficult to attract players down here.

“If I wanted to pick my phone up now, I could sign 10 or 12 players easily. There's a lot of players that want to come and play for this club but we want to make sure they're the right ones and the right fit for the club.” With Liam Buckley having departed as sporting director, Clancy is coordinating the transfer activity in consultation with owner Dermot Usher.

“It's ultimately down to the manager. I will be the one recruiting the players and I’ll be speaking with the owner and we'll be doing work together.

“I’ll identify the players and we’ll go after the ones that we think are the right fit. If deals can be done, we’ll get them done and get them into the club.

“It's not an open chequebook. When I looked at the budget for last season, it was very, very competitive budget, not far off what I had at Pat’s, which is one of the biggest in the League after Rovers and Derry.

“Going down a division, there has to be a realistic outlook at the budget again. That's what we're looking at it.” Holland warned after being relegated that not all of the players were equally hurt by dropping down a division. It’s advice that Clancy has taken on board.

“I've reached out to players that I want at the club. Put it that way,” he said. “I haven't spoken to ones that I don't want here.”