Newly-appointed Dundalk boss Ian Foster will immediately set about negotiating deals with players who were at the club last season who he wishes to see remain at Oriel Park next year.

That, along with finalising his backroom staff including an assistant manager, is the 33-year-old’s priority over the course of the next seven days, with the former Galway United manager likely to set aside approaching other out-of-contract players until after he has spoken to members of the squad which helped the Lilywhites to their best league finish in 14 years last month.

However, Foster warned that a reduced budget may see some of those players leave the club. “Over the next few hours and few days, I’ll sit down with the boys that were here last season,” he told dundalkfc.com. “It’s a reduced budget and therefore lads are going to have to take reduced contracts. One or two might not be happy to do that, and if they’re not then unfortunately they’ll have to move on. If players are, and they’re looking to how we want to do things and how we want to play, and how I like to work – if they’re for that and they want to play for Dundalk and do well for Dundalk, then I’m sure that we can negotiate contracts.

“You’ve got to work off at least 16 players,” he added when asked what size of a squad he would be looking to assemble. “But I’ll sit down with individuals and I’ll have conversations with them. Ultimately, like every other manager, you’re dictated to by budgets, and if players can’t agree terms then you move on and get the next one. First and foremost, I think you’ve got to look at what is already there and you look at the young boys coming through, and assess those kind of lads and see if they can be part of the squad. Ideally, you would like to play off around 20 or 21 players, which gives you room for injuries, suspensions and loss of form. You’re looking for maybe around 16 players who have good quality, and then five or six young boys who can come and stake a claim to get into that 16, and improve, and improve the squad. I’m looking to the local boys who played for the A-Championship team last season and see if they can come in and help us next year.”

Foster will also quickly look to appoint an assistant manager and backroom team, although he stated that it is highly unlikely that he will be bringing any of his staff from Galway. He, however, did not rule out the possibility of some players following him from Terryland Park.

“With regards to an assistant manager, it’s something that I’ve given serious thought to,” he said. “It’s a huge appointment that you have to make, someone you have to work with day in, day out. I’ll have news on that within the next few days. The two lads I had working with me at Galway were local boys who have jobs in Galway, so it’s a probably-not on that score. But with regards to players, I think first and foremost I have to sit down with last season’s squad and try to negotiate deals with one or two of those boys, and then see what we’ve got after that.” One thing that the former Chester City, Hereford and Kidderminster Harriers player is certain about, though, is that he won’t be lining out for the Lilywhites next term. “I’ll see what the squad is like,” he quipped. “I’m coming in to manage. We’ll see if I get a squad number, but no.”

When unveiled on Friday night, Foster straight away thanked the Board of Directors for handing him the reigns, before stating “bring it on”, as he looked ahead to the new season. “First and foremost, I’d like to thank the chairman and the Board of Directors for giving me the opportunity to manage a club steeped in history,” he said. “I’m thrilled at the appointment and I’m excited about getting my teeth into it. I’ve done my homework, I know what kind of football club Dundalk is, and about the town and the support they get, and, like I said, I’m really excited about getting started. It’s a difficult league, the 10-team format is tough – there’s no hiding place because everybody knows everybody else. I think it will be even more competitive with the additions to the league next season, but bring it on. It’s exciting times.”