Tiernan Lynch will be heavily backed by Derry City in transfer market as he casts his net far and wide

​"He's going to be backed just the same way Ruaidhri Higgins was backed and we'll all be there to help along the way and see where it takes us," declared Mr Barrett.

After a whirlwind few days which saw Lynch announced as the new City boss, take charge of his final match with Larne - ironically at Brandywell - and officially unveiled as Higgins' successor at a press conference, he finally got down to business on Wednesday afternoon when the function room in the Mark Farren Stand finally emptied.

Top of the agenda will no doubt be contacting those out of contract players from last season's squad who potentially remain undecided over the future and are mulling over offers.

Goalkeeper Brian Maher, Adam O'Reilly, Will Patching and Ciaran Coll are among those players whose futures are yet to be determined and Lynch insisted he would be doing everything in his power to convince those he wants to stay to buy into his ambitious plans.

"I haven't [talked to out of contract players]," he said. "Today's my first day. We had a game last night with Larne and I think I owed them that respect to finish out last night and the work starts today.

"We're well aware of who's out of contract and aware of how important they are to this football club and we'll be doing everything in our power to try and keep them.

"Our job is to go and show them the vision of where we want to go, what we want to do and implement and hopefully that will excite them enough to want to put pen to paper again.

"Yeah 100 per cent," he answered when asked if those conversations would start immediately.

"There's no time like the present. I'm not going to sit here and guarantee that they're going to be a part of the journey next year. I will do everything in my power to try and make them part of the journey. "We'll lay down our plans, lay down where we want to go and what we want to do and talk to them about how we work and the level of professionalism we'd like to introduce to the club and I just hope and pray they can buy into that."

Derry's League of Ireland rivals are already making moves in the transfer market but with Brandywell's controversial pitch being a potential deterrent for targets, no European football and teams hunting for the signatures of the same players, how far can he cast his net and is he confident he can find top end players who will improve the squad?

He's previously worked with ex-Cliftonville and Coleraine defender Gerry Flynn, now based in Murcia, who was head of recruitment at Larne. Ex- Northern Ireland, West Ham and QPR striker Iain Dowie also had a significant influence in terms of attracting players to Inver Park but Lynch is naturally guarded about where he'll focus his player search in the coming weeks.

"From the first minute I had the conversation [about taking over] your mind started working overtime about what could be done here and where this club could go. That's our job now. Our work starts today to try and build this club up to where we want to take it."

He boasts an impressive track record of unearthing young talent and homegrown players like Northern Ireland international Lee Bonis and also has a penchant for attracting players from England and Scotland who made a big impact at Inver Park - the likes of Andy Ryan and Shaun Want from Hamilton, ex-Bolton defender Cian Bolger and Marcus Rashford's close friend Ro-Shaun Williams who was key in Larne's championship win.

"Our market is focussed on bringing players here that will help us kick on.

"We're certainly not sitting down saying they have to be from Dublin or have to be from Belfast or from Scotland or England. We want players at this football club who are going to buy into what we're doing and bring us closer to that league title."

Whatever happens, Lynch isn't expecting a huge turnover of players in the close season.

"I hope not. We'll start getting around the players from today and lay out our vision of what we want to do and where we want to go. We have a very clear playing style and a very clear structure to what we do on and off the field and the levels of professionalism that we want to add to the club.

"We hope the players buy into that and hope those players who are maybe thinking of moving on that we can maybe change their minds."

Those who have worked closely with Lynch over the years have described him as 'meticulous', 'detailed' and 'driven' and the new City boss certainly gives the impression that he's not one for shirking hard work.

He's expecting plenty of sleepless nights and the appearance of a few more strands of grey hair.

"I'm hugely passionate and enthusiastic and really looking forward to getting my teeth into what we can build here. I'm under no illusions that this is going to be something that'll be easy because it certainly won't be.

"There will be a lot of sleepless nights and unfortunately lots more grey hairs but that's what comes with the territory. As long as I can put my head on the pillow at night knowing that I've given 100 percent to Derry City Football Club and the fans of Derry City that'll be enough for me.

"It's like anything in life, if you put the work in more often than not you reap the rewards."

Lynch is credited for installing a professional culture at Larne and it's something he feels strongly about as he looks to repeat the feat with his new club. Having watched Derry on several occasions last season, what did he make of the squad he's inherited?

"They were definitely a very hard working side. We want to try and come in and give them a clear identity about what it is we're about.

"We've been fortunate enough to have that little bit of success so we know what comes with success and know the efforts and commitments that it takes to bring success.

"We need everybody rowing in the same boat. If we can get that then I'm confident we’ll get where we need to go.

"It would be unfair of me to start talking about what's happened in the past, that's not really my business. All I can talk about it is what we're gonna to do and the club and the board have assured me that all the things we want to implement and the level of professionalism we want to bring to this football club to give us any kind of chance of trying to challenge, that they will get around and support and that's a huge reason why I'm here." READ MORE: Tiernan Lynch's blueprint for Derry City Football Club a 'two-fold attack'