New Dale boss: “It feels like home already”

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Steve Eyre at Spotland

Rochdale Football Club’s new manager, Steve Eyre has said he is “determined” to make a success at Spotland following his appointment to the role earlier this week.

Eyre replaces Keith Hill who departed from Rochdale to take up the vacant manager’s position at Barnsley.

Eyre, 39, joins the club from Manchester City where he was the youth team coach.

He said the decision to join the club was “difficult” but only “temporarily difficult,” because after meeting with Chairman Chris Dunphy he had learnt about the set up, the players and the condition it had been left in by Hill and his number two, Dave Flitcroft.

The question on the lips of many fans is whether Eyre will be bringing players from City with him to Spotland.

He said: “City is the obvious place to look but I must stress there is no obsession with City. My knowledge and contacts go further than City.”

Eyre said today (14 June) that talks are “well down the line” with a couple of players.

He said: “Early indications suggest people want to be at this club.”

Eyre said he hoped Gary Jones would be present at the start of next season, adding that conversations would resume with Jones when he returns from his family holiday.

The new boss will meet the players towards the end of this month and admitted that he won’t be taking a summer break. “I’ve got far too much work to do,” he said, “My wife and family understand. I am hoping for successful season.”

The next job for Eyre is to find the right backroom staff. He said: “It is of paramount importance that I have the right people around me.”

He said almost as many staff had been in touch as players and agents and the job now would be to “sift” through those people. 

Hill will be a tough act to follow after guiding the club to their first promotion since 1969 in 2009/10, when he led them to League One and finishing ninth this past season. But Eyre said Hill was “an inspiration” and someone he has watched from a far. 

Eyre met all the staff at the club today and said: “It feels like home already.” 

Chairman Chris Dunphy said the standard of applications for the manager’s role were “fantastic,” adding, “Steve stood out, head and shoulders above the rest.”

He described him as a “perfect match” to what the club was looking for.

He added: “We have come a long way and it was very important that we appointed the right person.

“Steve has impressed his personality on me, that is why he is sat here.

“I am sure he will put his own stamp on it.”

Mr Dunphy spoke of the “energy” and “enthusiasm” Eyre has. Something Eyre said filled him with “pride.”