NEW Dundalk manager Ian Foster became a proud father on Sunday night, forcing new assistant Wayne Hatswell to step straight in to take charge of the first pre-season training session on Monday. The 31 year-old manager hurriedly took a flight from Dublin back to the Midlands as wife Portia gave birth to their first child. The bouncing 6.7oz boy arrived early, and the couple have decided to call him Jude.

Alternative arrangements had to be made to collect his assistant, whom he was due to pick up in Belfast. The 34-yearold defender will remain in charge of pre-season training until the manager returns at the weekend.

Several of the club's youths and under-20 players comprised the 20 players who assembled for the first pre-season session, with striker Tiarnan Mulvenna and fellow locally born defender Michael Coburn the only two players present from last year's squad.

New signings Matt Gregg and Alan Cawley were in attendance, but Peter Cherrie was not there.

Michael Synnott, who went on loan to Shelbourne last season, took part as he has accepted the invitation of the manager to show that he is worthy of a contract, along with Coburn.

Among the others who also took part were local-born striker Kyle Moran, who spent last season with Saint Patrick's, Damien McCaffrey who was with Falkirk; John Flood who played with Bray, along with Ryan Brennan, brother of Killian who has been a key player in Bohemians' recent successes.

Foster is believed to be interested in signing Neale Fenn, a member of Pat Fenlon's league-winning squad, who formerly was with Cork, having briefly been with Spurs.

He is also after a number of other experienced players.

The position with regard to promising left-back Nathan Murphy is still not clear. Due to sit his Leaving Certificate, the full-back had trials with Newcastle and Blackburn at the end of last season.

Blackburn look favourites to sign him if he moves across channel. He is to play with the Irish Schools against Australia on Thursday.