New Dundalk FC manager says he has taken a “leap of faith”

New Dundalk FC first-team manager and former player Ciaran Kilduff says he has taken a “leap of faith” after being confirmed as Jon Daly’s successor in the Oriel Park hotseat.

The 36-year-old has signed a two-year contract at Oriel in a bid to return Dundalk back into the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division following their relegation this season.

Kildare-native Kilduff recently stepped down from his role as manager of the Athlone Town women’s team, whom he guided to league and cup success during his time there.

“I’m delighted to be here,” he said at a press conference held inside the YDC today. “It’s a great opportunity with a club that I have a great history with. Only last year I was coming up here and commentating on some of their games and I got a great reception.

“Let’s be honest, there was probably a bit of a dark time the last while. It’s been a tough situation, but I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t have the stomach for a fight, if I didn’t believe what the lads were trying to do and the people behind the scenes were trying to do, which is to get us back to being a really powerful football club. I’m here for the footballing reasons and nothing else.

“There’s stuff outside of my control that I can’t control, but what I can control is that I will give everything in my armoury to come up here and do my best job for Dundalk Football Club. There’s players here, there’s supporters here who are passionate and take pride in this club and I’m no different.

“A great opportunity is how I feel about it. There’s a leap of faith in it, but I’ve had no doubts since chatting to the lads and doing my research and my homework and educating myself on the club, that here’s hopefully good things come.”

He added: “You’re coming into a club that has gone through a bit of turmoil in the last while. There’s been trauma in the club, they’ve just got relegated.

“You’re taking a group of players who themselves have probably been on a bad run as well. I think they’ve won one of their last 15 league games. They’re now in the First Division.

“Two months ago, as we all know, the club was in a really difficult situation in which we were all hoping to even get out of it, so of course you’re coming into a situation that’s not perfect and there’s no point in saying it is.

“There’s a lot of things, there’s a lot of work going on behind the scenes. I have a lot of work to do as soon as I get going here and my job starts today. That’s what I mean by coming here and understanding that the situation is what it is, I think there’s no point being blind to it.”

As a player, Kilduff won two Premier Division titles with Dundalk and featured in their historic run to the Europa League group phase in 2016 – heading home a late leveller versus AZ Alkmaar and then scoring the only goal in a 1-0 win over Maccabi Tel-Aviv.

“To get to the Europa League group stage, I’m probably going to need more than two years,” he joked. “Obviously when you’re taking a job, you’re ambitious and you want to back yourself to do it. You don’t take it and then worry about what can go wrong, you’re trying to stay positive.

“It’s great that I’ll be well received – that’s probably why I’m here. There is an emotional part to this and I don’t usually go with emotion.

“I’m dealing with facts too and I’m dealing with the reality, but I’ve had great times here and I have a great relationship with the supporters and we’re going to need them as well.

“It works both ways. This club needs everyone, shoulder to the wheel, we need everyone on the same page pushing forward and just accepting where we’re at.

“That’s what it is and, yeah, we can bring good days back. I’ve had a great couple of years and moments here. Of course, I’d like to think there’s more to come. There’s no point taking a job and thinking there’s not. Let’s be ambitious with this and try and put a positive spin on it.

“They’re the most passionate supporters I’ve ever played for. I know it was the glory years, so it was easy to support us then and it was easy to go to Alkmaar and all of those places and have those moments, but 16 years ago they were playing Kildare County in a game to try and get promoted back into the Premier Division. Eight years after that it was Alkmaar. Eight years later, we’re here.”