'We're down the line' but no Cork City assistant manager appointed yet says Gerard Nash

Nash also confirmed that City are looking to retain striker Djenairo Daniels beyond his current deal which expires in July.

Republic of Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson shares a joke with newly appointed Cork City manager Gerard Nash. Pic: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile.

Two major issues that impacted Tim Clancy towards the end of his Cork City managerial career are close to being rectified according to new boss Gerard Nash.

The first is the appointment of a new assistant manager.

Clancy’s long search and ultimately unsuccessful search for a number two to replace Jamie Hamill was far from ideal but Nash, who was always likely to bring in his own staff regardless, confirmed he is close to bringing a new coach into the club.

“Nobody has been appointed yet,” began Nash.

“We’re down the line with that but we haven’t appointed anyone yet. At the moment Liam Kearney, who is fantastic in his own right, is helping me and he is doing a brilliant job.

“Obviously Greg Bolger is also on the scene as both a player and on the coaching staff. That’s where we are at, at the moment but that’s all going on in the background, it’s ongoing and we will update that as soon as we can.”

The second issue was the permanent base of the head coach. Clancy cited the difficulty of living in Meath with his family and commuting to Cork as one of the main reasons behind his decision to resign last week.

But that won’t be a problem for Nash.

“It’s a huge honour (to manage City), it’s a huge opportunity, it’s a huge responsibility,” continued the 38-year-old, who will take charge of the club for the first time when they travel to Galway United - who are currently eighth, one place but eight points ahead of City - on Friday night.

“It’s one I certainly don’t take lightly. I’m going to devote my life to it, I’m going to move, here and be based here, with my family and give everything I can to be successful for the club.

“It’s the only way I can do the job to the best of my ability (by living in Cork). I need to be totally committed to it and that’s exactly what I’m going to do.

“I spoke to the club before but look I’m here now. I can’t wait to get going, I’m delighted to be here, and I just can’t wait to get going.

“My aims for the season start on Friday night by getting the performance right and the result, a positive result. That’s my immediate aim right now but obviously we are desperate and it’s imperative that - we want to be in this division - we pick up as many points as we can.”

Nash also confirmed that City are looking to retain striker Djenairo Daniels, who has scored three goals since he joined at the end of April, beyond his current deal which expires in July.

“D. D’s done well so far. We’re hoping to have him for a significant spell, definitely. He’s done really well with what we have seen so far so we’re very happy with him.”