Connor aims to lift tribes

Belfast man Connor has been unveiled as Ian Foster's successor at Terryland Park, and he will immediately start work on building a squad.

"I am very excited, the thing that attracted me is the challenge, it is a massive challenge. It is probably the biggest challenge I have taken as a coach or a manager, and I am well aware of the situation as regards resources, but the whole League of Ireland is facing a challenge," said Connor.

"From the outside I think this is a massive club, a big city, and there is no reason why we cannot be challenging for honours and European football.

"I had a couple of offers to go to Africa which I turned down, I had an opportunity to go back to America, and I had one or two other options, but I talked to my family and we wanted to stay in this country.

"There is a challenge here to build a football club from the bottom right up, and the fact I will be in total charge of the football side of the business is what excited me and I really want to get my teeth into it now. I want to see what impact I can have in the history of Galway United," added Connor.

"It is not going to be easy, resources are tight, it is going to be a difficult year, but the job is to make sure we stay in the division, and to put structures and foundations in place so we can take this football club forward."

Galway have already lost talented striker Aaron Greene to Peterborough United, and Galway stars John Russell, Seamus Conneely, Shane Guthrie and Vinny Faherty have also been linked with moves away, but Connor is confident he can keep the squad intact.