Let's get ready to Rundle

Having started from the bench in last Sunday’s season-opening scoreless draw with Limerick, Adam Rundle is prepared for a royal rumble to win a place on the starting side at Cork City.

The Geordie, who spent a season with Roddy Collins at Dublin City almost a decade ago, has been used as an impact sub in the Setanta Cup, while also coming on in the dying embers of last weekend’s curtain-raiser at Thomond Park.

But the 28-year-old says he’s up for a fight to wrestle a midfield jersey from fellow wide-men Ian Turner and Daryl Horgan.

“I'm settling in OK but obviously my main focus is to get into the starting XI,” he says. “I feel that in the games I've played in and in training, I'm doing alright so hopefully it won't be long before I get in. That's just my main focus at the moment.

"The starting XI is doing well and everyone's playing well so Tommy [Dunne] hasn't had many opportunities to change it. It's a settled team but I'm ready when the chance comes up and I'll take it and then someone will have to fight to take the shirt off me.”

It would be fair to say Rundle comes to Cork with plenty of experience. He has hop-scotched his way around various Football League clubs in the north of England down the years, as well as that year with the Vikings. and he believes that is a key attribute as he looks to impress manager Dunne.

"You'll get someone who's honest, will give 100%. I'm experienced and can create goals and score for the team this season.”

Rundle also admits Collins had a part to play in him signing with City: “I have fond memories of working with Roddy, because I worked with him at Carlisle too. We always got on well off the field and he told me about Cork, had lots of good things to say, so that helped me make my mind up and sign. Who knows, maybe I'll sign with a team he's in charge with one day.”

Yet the move initially came about when he sent his CV to Dunne. Out of the game for personal reasons, Rundle felt that signing with another English club wasn’t his best option with the season cross-channel halfway through.

Instead, the idea of playing a full season in Ireland appeased him more and following a trial spell, in which he obviously impressed enough to earn a contract, he didn’t hesitate in signing on the dotted line in Bishopstown.

He added: "I was out of football for family reasons and it wasn't right when there were things happening at home. The opportunity came from Tommy to get back into full-time football and I'm happy to get another chance again.

"With only a couple of months left in the English season, I thought it was better to have a full season here. I sent my CV to Cork, Tommy got on to me and said he'd like to have a look at me because he saw that I had played a lot of games.

“Thankfully I did enough in training for him to want to sign me. I had one or two offers to stay in England but I just felt with three months left in the season there wasn't much point. I wanted to look forward to a full campaign. It was a good opportunity.”

Though his own impact was limited to a late appearance off the bench, Rundle feels last Sunday’s scoreless draw away to Limerick was no mean feat.

Overall he was impressed with the league’s new boys, while it has also proven to him there is plenty of quality in the league.  

"I don't think many people will go there and take points off Limerick. They've got a bigger budget than a lot of teams and have signed a lot of quality players, so to go there on the opening weekend and get a point is good. At least we're up and running. Now we need to kick on and get a win against Bohs.

"Seeing Limerick has shown that there is a lot of quality in this league. There are a lot of teams that can win the title. I've been impressed with what I've seen in training and from Sunday. It's going to be competitive.”

While anything other a win tonight at home to Bohemians would be disappointing, the year has got off to a promising start with pre-season seeing City make it to the last four of the Setanta Cup via the top two sides north of the border, with old foes Shamrock Rovers waiting in the semi-finals next month. Rundle says now they’ve reached this far, they will be going all out to win it: "It was part of our pre-season but in saying that it was a competition that we looked at and said we want to win. We're delighted to be in the semi-final and now we're going to go all out to win it."

He believes the squad’s closeness, the like of which he hasn’t experienced at any of his other clubs, could also be a big factor over the course of the campaign: “The lads are great. It's the first time I've been in a dressing room where there are no cliques, everyone gets on and if you have a dressing room like that we can all have a good season on the pitch as well as off it. There is a great atmosphere at the minute in the changing room."