Kevin Murray To Captain Cork City

Press release from Cork City FC: Kevin Murray has been appointed Cork City’s captain for the 2013 season. Commenting on the appointment, Cork City manager Tommy Dunne said: “I have asked Kevin to be our captain this year, because first and foremost I think he will be an integral part of the squad. He has been captain at other clubs he has played for also, and he is somebody that I see as a leader. He is a Cork lad, and the players have a good relationship with him. He is someone we feel will be a good bridge between the players, the management and the board. He is also a leader in a professional capacity, and has been for a long time now. It is important for us that we have somebody who has a presence, and Kevin is someone who fits the bill in many aspects.” Kevin, who returned to the club last season after spells with both Cobh Ramblers and Waterford United told CorkCityFC.net that he was proud to lead the team into the coming season, saying: “It is a huge privilege to be asked to be the captain of Cork City Football Club. As a Corkman, it is a huge honour for me personally and I hope that I can live up to expectations and have a good season.” As he takes over the captain’s armband, Murray has some pedigree in the role. He has previously captained City at underage level, as well as both Cobh Ramblers and Waterford United, and the new City skipper said: “I have captained Cork City in the past at underage level. We won a couple of national titles when I was in the Under 21 side, and I was captain on one of those occasions. Obviously I have also been captain at Cobh and at Waterford, but to be the captain of the senior team at Cork City is the highlight of my career so far.” The City squad are now well into their pre-season training, and Murray confirmed that the squad are pleased with their efforts so far, saying: “Pre-season has been going very well. To be fair to all of the lads, everyone has come back in good shape and we were all ready to hit the ground running. The facilities we have available to us, between the Mardyke Arena and the Astroturf up at Mayfield, are excellent and that has helped us along the way. We are all really looking forward to getting some match time now.” Murray also confirmed that, as is common practice for Airtricity League clubs at this time of year, the players have been in discussion with the club over the last couple of weeks, and was quick to set the record straight in relation to some recent speculation. The captain commented: “Obviously we have engaged with the club over the last couple of weeks. Representatives from both sides have sat down for discussions, and we are happy now that we have come to an agreement. I am aware that there has been stuff mentioned in the press and online, but there is absolutely no truth in any of it. The discussions that took place were always amicable and there was never any mention of any strike by the players. As a squad, we are happy to have it all sorted and we are now looking forward to getting back to competitive action.” Turning his thoughts to the season ahead, Kevin was in optimistic mood, stating: “Cork City is a massive club, and we are naturally looking to progress on last year and as a squad we would be hopeful of delivering European football. Our main aim has to be a top four finish, and hopefully we can get a couple of cup runs along the way as well.