A SAFE PAIR OF HANDS
Hop kin makes finding a keeper top priority as rebuilding job begins after Honest Men secure Championship survival
David Hopkin has pledged to rebuild Ayr United with “winners” for a fresh assault on the Championship.
The relieved boss saw his side secure survival at Inverness on Friday.
And he’s immediately setting his sights on a busy summer in the transfer market.
The boss told the Post: “We’ve done what we set out to do and that’s remain a Championship club. But there’s no time to stand still. I now need to build a squad, just as I have done elsewhere, to get us pushing back in the right direction.”
Hopkin will make a new goalkeeper one of his top priorities and is determined Ayr are not left relying on the loan market between the sticks.
He said: “I think it’s important that we get a keeper who is our player.
“You need a solid base to build from and that’s something which is very much in my mind.
“It’s good that we have a number of boys signed for next season – so the challenge for me is to go and complement them with good additions.”
Hopkin will sit down with his squad later this week to finalise who is part of his plans for next season.
The Post understands Josh Todd, scorer of the vital equaliser at Inverness on Friday, is in line to be offered a permanent deal.
Striker Dre Wright has already left the club, while Corrie Ndaba has returned to Ipswich.
Hopkin added: “I need winners and I need leaders. This is going to be another very tough league next season and we’ll need to go and compete every single week.
“Staying up was absolutely massive because to go down would have been a huge setback for the club.
“The chairman has great plans in place and had we gone to League One it would have been a tough ask to come straight back up.”