Mark Connolly excited for new chapter at Derry City under new boss Tiernan Lynch

​The 33-year-old Clones man, who will no doubt be considered for the Candy Stripes' captaincy role for 2025, is looking forward to seeing how the squad takes shape going into the New Year.

Lynch has already retained the services of Brian Maher and Adam O'Reilly and secured his first new signing in Northern Ireland international Shane Ferguson.

Ex-Portsmouth winger Gavin Whyte is also considering a move to Foyleside with Shamrock Rovers and Coleraine understood to have made approaches for the Belfast man.

The arrival of former Larne Technical Director Andy Mitchell as first team coach has also brought a freshness to the club which has big ambitions both on and off the pitch.

With the impressive North Stand nearing completion, new management installed and new recruits on the horizon, it's exciting times for Derry City fans and it's the perfect tonic for Connolly who needed the off-season to get his head around the disappointments and frustrations from the 2024 season.

The ex-Crawley Town and Dundee United centre half has been inspired by initial meetings with Lynch and he's confident the future is bright for the Brandywell men.

"With the new manager and new staff and I'd imagine some new players coming in, it's an exciting time. Early conversations have been really, really good and really positive with myself and speaking with the boys, they're all really looking forward to working with him.

"We had a meeting with him and he told us his aims and what he wants to do. It was a good conversation and he took on board some of the stuff we had to say. His ideas on what he wants to do with the football club and with us as a team is really exciting and I'm really looking forward to getting going."

Nothing stands still in football as managers and players move on and while admittedly Connolly is 'sad' to see former teammates and ex-Brandywell boss Ruaidhri Higgins exit Brandywell, he's long enough in the tooth to know the fortunes of the club is what matters most.

"The priority is that Derry City Football Club comes back stronger," said the former Wolves and Bolton Wanderers youth. "We've been fighting for league titles, won a cup two years ago and did well in Europe. A lot of things went well and there's been a little bit of a hiccup and it's how you react. We have to make sure and put it right.

"You can go under a stone and feel sorry for yourselves or take the flak and be accounted for and be ready to go again. All anyone asks is to give absolutely everything and we need to give everything to make sure the club is back where it belongs.

"It was a long season last season and it didn't finish how we wanted it to obviously but since the cup final I've switched off with the family and had some downtime and time to reflect on last year. Now we'll be ready to go again come January.

"You have to have that downtime in the close season. The physical side, there's loads of games but the mental side is just as important especially with how that season went, switching off from everything and getting away from everything was important. "But you also reflect on how it was. You look at the good things but also the things you maybe individually could've done better and next season we want to put those things in place.

"It's a really exciting time to be at the club. Obviously players have left and friends have left unfortunately which is sad but as I said football moves very quickly and the main thing is making sure we get the right people in.

"I understand fans are excited and don't want to wait too long to get players in. The main thing is getting the right people in. It's so important that we bridge the gap to the top. We haven't been too far away but we still need that bit extra which is going to get us to winning leagues and winning cups again. Getting into Europe and eventually getting into the group stages of Europe. That takes time and the right people.

"You don't want to be rushing with that and getting anyone in. That's what the manager and staff are doing.

"With the new stand at the club it's exciting. Once the first few signings come in I'm sure that excitment will grow even more."

Connolly was brought to the club by ex-City boss Higgins and despite how his tenure ended with FAI Cup final defeat to Drogheda and missing out in Europe, the defender believes his former manager left the club in a stronger position than when he first took over three-and-a-half years ago.

"Ruaidhri brought me to the football club and I have a lot of respect for him. I went and spoke with him and it's disappointing. I've been in football a long time and you work with a lot of people and especially with managers unfortunately it's a tough, tough job. The success we had right at the start and when you look at where the club was when he came in and how he's left it. He's left it in a really good place.

"My relationship was really good with him and I've no doubt he will go on and become a successful coach or manager in the future. It was tough whenever he found out about it but football moves quickly. We have a new manager in and we're looking forward to working with him."

Lynch has been working hard behind the scenes making preparations for his first campaign in the League of Ireland and given his track record at Larne, Connolly believes Derry City is in good hands.

"I think if he could replicate the success he had at Larne at Derry he probably won't be here too long," he smiled. "But he's done an incredible job at Larne and built that club up over a number of years. Again, it takes time. It's not going to happen in six months or a year.

"It will take time for him to build something like he built at Larne. The opportunity and the size of this club, the size of this city and the size of the fanbase is massive. It's a brilliant opportunity for himself."

Just like City fans over the Christmas period, Connolly will be waiting patiently for news on potential new signings and while he'll be keeping his ear close to the ground in terms of rumblings on the rumour mill, he wasn't prepared to give away any inside information.

"It's a waiting game to see who comes in and to be fair whoever comes in the door all I hope for is that they improve us and help us as a team and they want to come to Derry City and be here and win stuff here," he said diplomatically.

"I'm sure the manager and staff have an idea of the players they want to bring in but it's exciting. I'm looking forward to getting new boys in and gelling with them."