NOEL KING has admitted that he thought he was done with professional football until he was offered the Dundalk job.
King, 67, was today unveiled as Dundalk’s boss on a contract until the end of next season after his former Home Farm team-mate Brian Ainscough turned to him to try to save the club from relegation.
After stepping down from the Shelbourne women’s team at the end of last season, King had been coaching the Home Farm equivalent in the Eastern Women’s Football League.
And King said: “I would have thought it, romancing in your head, ‘that would be nice, Dundalk’, I didn’t really think I’d be a candidate for it.
“When it came I was delighted, yeah. I was happy as Larry.
“I’d left Shelbourne, I was happy at Home Farm trying to create a women’s movement there and then this came and they understood I’d been here before and it was too good a challenge to turn down, to be honest.”
Tomorrow was supposed to be the closing date for applications in a recruitment process also involving Head of Football Operations Brian Gartland and chief executive Peter Halpin.
But owner Ainscough went on a solo run in appointing King to succeed the sacked Stephen O’Donnell.
King said: “I didn’t apply. It was 100 percent unexpected. I saw the number and thought maybe.
“My instant reaction was ‘I’m delighted you rang’ I’d love the job, I have to pass it by Maria, my wife, that gave me a few minutes to think about it.
“It was very, very quick.
“There was no hesitation because it’s a great club, one of the best clubs in Ireland success wise. It’s a challenge and I’d love to try and make it a success
“I’ve seen the last couple of games and they’ve played quite well, there seems to be good players in the group, I don’t know some of the players in the group, from England and Scotland.
“There’s enough games left to make an impact without being panicky.
“The first thing is not to be relegated. People can say anything, that Dundalk are a great team who’ll play their way out of it, but it’s difficult when you’re bottom of the league.
“They’re adrift and certain things get in people’s heads that can be a problem.
“It’s not a given that you’ll just escape and I think that’s why a change has been made. The owner wanted to progress things and feels I can do the job.”