Ian Ryan and Bray Wanderers looking to prove point with fresh start

In another timeline, Ian Ryan could have been preparing for a season of SSE Airtricity League Premier Division football at the helm of Bohemians.

But one of the most impressive young managers in the League of Ireland right now will instead be looking to turn Bray Wanderers' fortunes around in the First Division.

The 35-year-old's body of work with Wexford had not gone unnoticed from the moment he took charge at Ferrycarrig Park in May 2021.

Wexford would go on to finish bottom of the second tier at the end of that year but began to gain momentum under Ryan as the season went on, including a run to the FAI Cup quarter-finals.

Better was to come in the league last year when the club from the south-east consigned past seasons of struggle to the rearview mirror and involved themselves in the race for the promotion play-offs. Former League of Ireland-winning winger Ollie Cahill was one of those impressed early on in the campaign.

Wexford ultimately fell short of the final play-off place by just three points but sealed a very creditable sixth place finish with 10 wins, 11 draws and 11 defeats and a goal difference of minus-two.

However, just after the season ended, Ryan confirmed that he would be making the "immensely difficult" call to move on, with Wexford admitting that his departure was a "setback" in their goal of building on recent progress.

He had already been the subject of interest from Waterford earlier in 2022, before being linked with the vacancy which had opened up at Bohemians after Keith Long's exit at the end of last August.

It was an opportunity he chose not to pursue before the lengthy process ultimately ended with Declan Devine taking charge at Dalymount Park and is now fully focused on trying to make Seagulls soar