Murphy confident Cahill will stay with Cork next season
From todays Examiner
This whispering about Ollie leaving is beginning to annoy me. I for one can't see City winning anything without ollie .
By Bill George
CORK CITY’S dynamic left-winger Ollie Cahill will still be turning on the style at Turner’s Cross next season if manager Liam Murphy has his way.
Shamrock Rovers were reported to be interested in Clonmel-born Cahill, 26, who is out of contract at the end of the season.
However, Murphy yesterday revealed that he had already spoken to the flying winger about an extension to his contract. He expressed confidence that Cahill would play for Cork again next season.
“Ollie has indicated to me that he is quite happy to stay with Cork and I have no reason to doubt him. This is not the time to be discussing the terms of new contracts, we are too busy trying to accumulate points in the League to allow any other matter get in the way,” he said.
Shamrock Rovers manager Damien Richardson said he was not focusing on recruiting new players or planning for next season. He said his team were too busy concentrating on their quest for the Carlsberg FAI Cup and the Eircom League titles. The drive to complete development of their new stadium is also in full flow.
“Work re-started on the stadium last Monday after we had received a substantial grant from the FAI. Everything is geared towards having it ready for the start of next season,” Richardson said.
He expressed satisfaction with the quality of the work.
“The playing pitch is beautiful and ready to use right now,” he said.
“It is a sand-based pitch and we have established access to a well under the surface so we will always have plenty of water on hand to help the grass grow.”
Richardson, who worked with Cahill when he was manager of Cork City for a couple of seasons, paid tribute to the winger.
“Ollie Cahill is the type of player I would love to be able to sign, but all our money is in the stadium.
“Because of our financial constraints we will finish the season with the staff we have. I said before Christmas that had we the opportunity to acquire one or two new players we would have had an exceptional squad, but the money was not available,” Richardson said.
“Like all managers I am always interested in top-class players and my hope is that in the near future Shamrock Rovers will again be able to compete for the top players. But right now that is pie in the sky and I must deal in reality.”
Cahill is recognised as one of the top players in the League. He has scored 28 goals in the 180 matches he has played for Cork over the past five years. This season he has scored six goals in 20 matches.
“I don’t have to tell you how important Ollie Cahill is to us and I think any player would be silly to want to leave the club now when we have an exciting young team developing fast,” manager Murphy said.
“But if a player said he wanted to leave then Shamrock Rovers is one of the clubs I would suggest to him.
“There has been a lot of publicity this week about Carlisle United and their manager Roddy Collins wanting to sign Irish players. It is a disgrace that players can be approached before the end of the season.
“It unsettles and distracts them. I would counsel any player to keep his options open. He might be impressed at what a manager tells him now, but what guarantee is there that the manager might not be gone before the ink on the contract is dry?”
