Will Patching 'no longer a Derry City player'

Will Patching is no longer a Derry City player, according to manager Tiernan Lynch.

The future of Patching has been the subject of some uncertainty in recent times, with the midfielder’s contract at the club coming to an end at the conclusion of the 2024 season. But despite reports that Patching was eager to remain at the club, Lynch has revealed that Patching has returned to England to loo for a new club, bringing an end to his four-year spell at the Brandywell.

“Will Patching is no longer at the club,” he stated. “It wasn’t the case that he was under contract and he was deciding if he wanted to stay or wanted to go. Will's contract was up at the end of the season. I presume that Will's looking for something new back in England.”

Patching first signed with Derry City under Declan Devine back at the start of the 2021 season. After the arrival of Ruaidhri Higgins, Patching scored six goals in 11 games before his loan spell from Dundalk ended and he returned to Oriel Park. But the midfielder returned on a full-time basis at the start of the 2022 season, and went on to make 130 appearances in total for the Candystripes, scoring 35 goals and assisting 29. In his time at the club, Derry City also had the unique record of never once losing a game when Patching scored.

Daniel Kelly has also left Derry City after just one season at the club. The winger, signed by Ruaidhri Higgins, made 30 appearances in the 2024 season, scoring just one goal. His season ended prematurely due to injury in August, with his final appearance coming as a late substitute against Cork City in the FAI cup.   

One player who will not be leaving the club according to Lynch is last season’s top scorer Pat Hoban. The striker, who scored 15 goals in all competitions in his debut season at the Brandywell, is wanted by both Galway United and Shamrock Rovers, but the City boss says he is going nowhere. Rathe than departures, Lynch is focused on bringing in new faces ahead of the new season.

“No. Pat Hoban's under contract at Derry City and I don't see any reason why Pat will be going anywhere else.”

“Obviously, our objective is that there's definitely, definitely players that we want to bring in to strengthen our squad. I probably couldn't even calculate the many hours that are going into talking to agents and looking at players and talking to players and watching players, and that's just an ongoing process, and that process will probably continue until the window closes.

“So, at this stage, unfortunately there is nothing to report apart from all the work that's going on behind the scenes.”

Daunting

Lynch’s first game as Derry City manager will be a daunting trip to Tolka Park to face champions Shelbourne on February 14. The fixture list for the 2025 season was released on Tuesday, and gives Derry a significantly difficult start, with home games against Bohemians and Waterford followed by up by a Monday night trip back to Dublin to face Stephen Kenny’s St. Patrick’s Athletic.

“Obviously it’s a very difficult start,” Lynch agreed. “Are there any easy starts? Are there any easy games? I suppose I think it'll give us all something to look forward to, going to the home of the champions on our first day. I hope it'll give us the focus that we need right through pre-season and I think it'll give us something that we'll look forward to. You've got to test yourself against the very best in the league, and obviously Shelbourne being league champions is a good start for us.”

The only new arrivals at the Brandywell so far in the close season have been goalkeeper Arlo Doherty and defender Shane Ferguson, but the City boss is hoping to add to that number sooner rather than later.

“I think it's a matter of bringing in what we need,” he explained. “There's certain positions that we definitely, definitely need to strengthen. There are certain players that we will be looking for a different type of profile than others. We want to get some of the younger ones in and around the squad in pre-season. We also need a little bit of experience in certain positions. Then there's also that middle bracket where we want to get lots of legs and energy and the team, so the recruitment is very wide in the profile of the type of player that we want to recruit.”