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Gary Rogers has endorsed newly appointed Athletic Director Jim Magilton to guide Dundalk through a difficult transition period and ensure they remain a leading force at the national and European level.
Former Northern Ireland midfielder Magilton began his role on Monday with a choppy transfer window looming.
The Lilywhites had 18 uncontracted players after their season ended with a final FAI Cup loss to Shamrock Rovers. Sean Hoare has gone to the Hoops and the future of many other key men remains uncertain.
Rogers, who retired after the FAI Cup triumph, admitted his former club is at “a real turning point” but believes that Magilton, together with manager Filippo Giovagnoli, has the ability to overcome it in a healthy state. .
“I think Jim will be a good date,” he told the RTÉ Soccer Podcast.
“A man with his knowledge and experience will certainly be an asset for Dundalk. It will be interesting to see how he does. His first weeks will be key.
“You look at how many players are out of contract … if you lose X number of players, you also have to bring in that many players. This will be a key period for him, but with his experience and knowledge of our league, the league of Ireland del Norte and then his contacts in England, it should be a very good date for the club.
“He will be able to bring in players of the caliber the club needs to maintain the success we have had.
“The only thing I’ll say in the last few years, and you can go back to Stephen Kenny, was a great continuity in Stephen’s teams. I signed in 2015, when he would have brought me and Ronan Finn to the start team and kept everything I had before. .
“The next year I think it brought in Patrick McEleney and Robbie Benson. The next year it was Sean Hoare and Jamie McGrath. There were no massive and total changes.
“There was always good continuity and a good core group there. It will be interesting to see how this offseason goes for Dundalk in terms of players they bring in and players they let go.
Gary Rogers says @ AdrianEames1 on the RTÉ Soccer Podcast that Jim Magilton is the ideal candidate to help lead Dundalk to a new period of success #RTEfutbol pic.twitter.com/sKFrzziP60
– Republic of football (@SoccRepublic) December 14, 2020
Rogers also had words of praise for Giovagnoli and his number 2 Giuseppe Rossi. The Italian was completely unknown on these shores when he took over from Vinny Perth last August, having previously been manager of the AC Milan Junior Camps and most recently director of training at the Metropolitan Oval Academy in New York.
However, he was later rewarded with work permanently after leading the club to the Europa League group stage and winning the cup.
“There will always be people who are skeptical of the unknown, but come and do the work they have done, in a short space of time … it just shows that the coach badges are not all they need.” “I’m crazy to be too,” added Rogers.
“They got into a completely strange environment for them and they managed to turn it around. Qualifying for the group stage is not an easy thing to do. Doing what they have done and winning a cup just shows that they have the ability to do the job.”
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