Noel King vows to win over Dundalk faithful with victories

New Dundalk boss Noel King says the only way for him to win over the Lilywhites faithful is to deliver victories as he looks to hit the ground running following his surprise appointment.

The 67-year-old had two spells at Oriel Park as a player in the 1977-78 and 1982-83 seasons.

King left his role as Shelbourne women's head coach last November after a successful three-year tenure, and had been working as senior women's manager/director of football at Dublin club Home Farm when he got a call from Dundalk owner Brian Ainscough.

Ainscough played under King as a schoolboy at Home Farm in the late 70s before emigrating to America. The pair kept in touch over the next few decades, and after Stephen O'Donnell was sacked earlier this month, Ainscough said King was immediately one of his "top targets" to take the reins.

King admits he was shocked to be offered the gig, but he's hungry to justify Ainscough's faith.

"I didn't see it coming to be honest, but I am delighted that it came and hopefully it will work out," he told RTÉ Sport's Tony O'Donoghue.

"I got a call from America from Brian Ainscough. He explained to me what the situation was. He asked me would I be interested; obviously I was more than interested even though it was a surprise.

"I had to check with the family and everybody was OK with that. About two seconds later I said, 'that's brilliant, let's go for it'.

"I used to coach him up in Home Farm. He was on that team, Under-16, Under-17s, a very successful team. He went away to America to become a successful businessman over there. He kept in touch to some degree. I was just surprised that the call came but delighted."

"The team, from what I can see, looks well capable of doing it."

The reaction to King's arrival has been