Cork City have confirmed the appointment of Colin Healy as their first team head coach.
The former Ireland international and City player took interim charge of the team last season after Neale Fenn was sacked.
Healy was in charge when Cork were relegated to the First Division after finishing bottom of the league and he will now continue in that role for the 2021 season with John Cotter as his assistant.
The club’s future remains uncertain after a takeover deal by Grovemoor Limited appeared to fall through because they could not agree terms with the Munster FA for the use of Turner’s Cross.
That led to questions about whether Healy would be appointed or if the club would opt for a different manager but it’s now been confirmed that the former Celtic and Sunderland player will be in the dugout next year.
“I am thrilled to get this deal done, it’s a huge opportunity and the hard work starts now,” said Healy.
“Myself and John Cotter will now get to work and start speaking to players as soon as possible.
“I expect us to be competitive. There’s a lot of good, loyal players, going to be playing for this club next season, and it’s my job to get the most out of them and play a style of football that gets us the results we need.
“We need to train hard and set a high-standard because this is a tough division, but we’re looking forward to the challenge.”
Club chairman Declan Carey said: “As a club, we need to set ourselves higher standards, and Colin is going to be critical part of that on the football-side of the business.
“Myself and the board will support in whatever way we can, and we’re excited to see what he can do with a talented bunch of young players for the next season.”
