Dundalk target experienced left-back to replace Keogh

Dundalk FC are weighing up a move for former Bohemians left-back and current free agent Paddy Kirk, The Democrat understands.

While the summer transfer window — during which Dundalk secured the signatures of JR Wilson, Declan McDaid, and Rohan Vaughan — closed on July 28th, clubs remain permitted to recruit unattached professionals throughout August.

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Kirk, who has been training with The Lilywhites in recent weeks, is viewed as a potential replacement for Sean Keogh, following the highly rated youngster’s departure to English Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion.

However, paperwork complications threaten to scupper the deal unless resolved before the month’s end.

Should the move materialise, the 27-year-old would bring a wealth of top-flight experience to Oriel Park, having amassed over 150 SSE Airtricity League Premier Division appearances — the majority with Bohemians, his most recent club — as well as stints with Longford Town and Sligo Rovers before becoming a free agent at the close of last season.

“He’s a free agent; there’s a bit to do yet, and nothing’s done until it’s all done,” said Dundalk manager Ciaran Kilduff. “There’s a bit of a paperwork issue with it as well. It’s more on his end; it’s nothing we can do. We’ve been waiting for a couple of weeks, but we’re also running out of games, so if we’re going to bring someone in, it needs to be soon. It is one that’s being monitored, but far from done.”

He continued: “We’re adding lads into the dynamic, and we know what we need at the right time. We’re just in a good place as a staff and as a club right now.

“I was ringing lads at the start of the year, asking people to stay and asking players to come, and do you have a licence? Do you have this? Do you have that? Are you going to be in SCARP? Are you going to have a points deduction?

“But here we are now, with headaches and winning 6-1 (against Athlone Town) on a big night, and it’s shown how far we’ve come, but nothing’s won or achieved yet.”

With no fixture this weekend following their exit from the Sports Direct FAI Cup, The Lilywhites find themselves pausing amid their push in the First Division title race — a break that Kilduff feels arrives at the perfect moment for his fatigued squad.

“A few lads just have a couple of niggles, so it’s coming at the right time,” he said. “We’re going to have a few days of recovery now. It’s not a break; nothing’s been achieved yet. We have a long way to go. There’s a full round of games; we have to play every team in the division again.

“Confidence is high, but we’re still building here. Everyone getting away maybe for a few days, no game next weekend, injured players getting the right treatment and the right recovery — I’m happy where we’re placed right now. You feel like the lads could have played again with the adrenaline that’s going, but the right thing now is to slow it down before we go into what is going to be a title charge.

“Obviously, at this stage we’re going to try and have to go for it, but we’re only six points clear still. That’s three points really away from Cobh, and it goes to the last day down there, so we’re far from looking at titles or lifting any trophies. But what we are is in a confident, good place right now, and we will continue to work hard.”

He added: “I’m a young manager; we’re all learning on the job as a group. I wouldn’t swap anything with those lads; you’re seeing the character of Norman (Garbett) coming back after an injury and that. There’s loads of little subplots to this story that’s going on at the minute.

“We’re probably ahead of schedule. There’s an expectation of we’re back — we’re really not — but what we are proud of is we’ve played 27 games and we’ve only lost two; we’ve won 18 and drawn seven, so we’re proud of our points tally.

“I’m proud of that performance (against Athlone). There were aspects of the UCD game, which is only a week ago, that I wasn’t happy with, but winning is important at this stage, and we’re doing a bit of that now at the minute, and we’re scoring goals, so we’ll take all the positives we can.”