afcdiamonds.com caught up with Manager Michael Harriman this past week to get an update on how things are progressing in terms of recruitment and player retention during the off-season. Both Harriman and new Assistant Manager Dan Porter have been working hard together behind the scenes to secure their targets and Michael had this to say:
“The off-season has been non-stop, but enjoyable. We have been working hard to ensure we keep building on the foundations we put in place towards the end of last season, continuing to develop the squad moving forward.
The main focus was trying to retain the core of the squad that finished the season with us last year and I’m confident that we will be able to do that which is great news. We’ll share more news when the ink is dry.
We’ve had to say goodbye to a few players that served us so well but that’s part and parcel of football and there’s an inevitability about it. Everyone knows that Ryan Inman, for example, has departed and he leaves with our absolute best wishes.
We have identified players that we feel can come in and improve the squad, have a desire to improve themselves and give everything for this football club. A number of new players will join us at the start of pre-season and we are very much looking forward to seeing what they can do throughout the course of pre-season and beyond.
Pre-season starts for us in the first week of July and I know that myself and the other staff members are raring to go. We want to get back on the pitch, get a good pre-season under our belt with some good opponents in front of us as we head towards the first competitive fixture in August.
Your support again this season will be invaluable and we look forward to seeing you all again in a few weeks. Our incredible support is a huge selling point for us in terms of player recruitment and is essential moving forward. Enjoy the last few weeks of the off-season and we will see you all soon.”
