Cork City have confirmed the appointment of former Celtic midfielder Barry Robson as manager.
City were rocked by the shock departure of Ger Nash two days before Christmas and last week enlisted ex-Leeds United and Preston North End boss Simon Grayson as an advisor to the board.
He’s wasted no time in recommending Robson for the vacancy and it’s believed he visited Ireland last week to meet with majority shareholder Dermot Usher.
The 17-times capped Scottish international is to start work in the coming days, with the first pre-season friendly scheduled for Wednesday against Waterford.
“I’m delighted to become manager of Cork City FC,” said Robson.
“From speaking to the club, it’s clear that this is a great opportunity. We all want Cork City to achieve its full potential and our first target is a successful league campaign, which is our clear aim for the season ahead.
“There is a talented group of players already at the club, and I look forward to getting to work with them, starting straight away.
“I’ve played at Turner’s Cross before and I know all about the passionate supporter base that Cork City has, so I can’t wait to lead the side out there, and to experience the atmosphere on a Friday night.”
Simon Grayson added: “We are very pleased to welcome Barry to the club. In my conversations with him, I was very impressed with what he had to say.
“Barry has a clear sense of how he wants his teams to play and what he will demand from everyone around him.
“He has extensive experience as a player and, since his retirement as a player, he has managed a lot of games. We feel the experience he has of managing a club of the size of Aberdeen, both in the Scottish Premier League, and in Europe, will only help with the aims we have, starting with the goal of getting promoted this season.
“Barry will bring that experience to the role, but he will also bring an awful lot more, and we feel he will be a really good fit for the job.”
Since retiring a decade ago, the 47-year-old had a couple of caretaker spells in charge of his former club Aberdeen, before taking the reins on a permanent basis in January 2024.
His last managerial job was with Scottish Championship outfit Raith Rovers, where he lasted almost a year before departing last November.
City suffered their second relegation in three years last season and will begin their quest to make an immediate Premier return by hosting Treaty United in the First Division opener on February 13.