UCD boss Paul Doolin has signed a two-year extension to his current contract. The new deal will take the player-manager through until the end of the 2003/04 season.
Doolin, who took over as player-manager last September, had been linked recently with the vacancy at Longford Town but insists he had no intention of leaving Belfield for Flancare Park.
Since taking up the managerial reigns after the departure of Martin Moran, Doolin has guided UCD away from relegation trouble but feels this team is only beginning to take shape.
"I only started this job last September and I think you need at least two or three years to achieve what you set out to," he maintained.
"When I first came to the club I wanted to create a more professional attitude and approach and, to be fair, the players have been excellent in the way they’ve responded," he explained. "I couldn’t have asked for anything more."
Now that he has committed himself to UCD in the long-term, Doolin is ambitious about the Students future.
"We have a good group of youngsters at the club and if we can stay together, maybe bring in two or three additions to the squad, we should realistically be challenging at the top end of the league."
"Having said that," he added, "The main priority for this and next season is to keep ourselves in top-flight football.