FORMER BOLTON BOSS Owen Coyle can be Stuart Taylor’s secret weapon at Limerick FC.
The two have known each other since their playing days together at Airdrie and spoke last week as Taylor, 38, settles into his first job in football management.
Taylor had no time to waste in building a squad for Limerick’s first season back in the Premier Division, which starts with the visit of Cork City on 8 March for a Munster derby in Thomond Park.
Captain Pat Purcell is among those to re-sign from the squad which won promotion while Ireland youth international Stephen Folan, formerly of Newcastle United, looks set to become the latest recruit.
Coyle, who was sacked by Bolton and replaced by Dougie Freedman last October, says he’s happy to dip into his contacts book if it will help the Taylor in the transfer market.
“If he needs any help in utilising our contacts, we can help,” Coyle told TheScore.ie, speaking at an ESPN event in Dublin yesterday.
I said to Stan, throughout football, if I can help him in any way he only needs to ask because I’m quite happy to help.
You’ve got to utilise that contacts base because if finance is tight, it might be the little gem that helps you and enhances your team.
Before signing his three-year Limerick deal, Taylor’s only direct experience of the Irish game came during a season playing with Drogheda United. He left Louth to return to Scotland in 2003 and was snapped up by Coyle, then the player/c0-manager at First Division side Falkirk, who soon saw the signs of managerial ambition.
“He’s been desperate for a number of years to get involved in the coaching side of things. Limerick’s a fantastic opportunity for him and I know he’s excited at the prospect and he wants to do really well.
“He was always very forward thinking and very progressive about wanting to go over onto the other side of football. That’s something that’s stood him in good stead.
He knows it’s a great opportunity and I think Limerick appreciate that he’s a gem of a lad, he comes with a great work ethic and he’s looking forward to it.
I think it’s a win-win-win situation. He’s going to a good club with aspirations of improving and they’ve got a young manager who is desperate to do well.
