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Ian Evatt is confident Eoin Toal will be a long-term success at Wanderers – but says the defender is suffering from a minor ankle problem.
The Whites paid an undisclosed fee to land the 23-year-old centre-back from Derry City, but he was absent from the squad for last weekend’s friendly against Huddersfield Town.
Evatt says Toal played through the injury in Derry’s recent Europa Conference League tie against Latvian side Riga.
“He’s not fit. He’s got a slight ankle injury at the moment which he’s been carrying for two or three weeks but Derry needed him to go through the pain barrier to try and get through in Europe, simple as that,” the manager explained.
“Eoin’s the type of guy who can do it. It’s nothing serious at all, but it’s important that we give him some time because it’s a big step to go from that club and that division to what we do here.
“We want him to hit the ground running of course, but we also have to have patience. This is a longer-term thing and not for the here and now.”
The Whites also brought in young defender Eric Yoro for the B Team, while the likes of Danny Madroiu and Promise Omochere have made the move to League One this summer, joining Lincoln City and Fleetwood Town respectively.
Former Bolton striker Eoin Doyle has served as the club’s official scout on the Emerald Isle since joining St Patrick’s Athletic during the January window.
Kieran Sadlier played in the League of Ireland earlier in his career and says it is “a great league to spot players”.
He added: “It is a league that if you go there at the right age, you can get a good move to England or I think some players are going to other countries as well now.
“I keep an eye on it. I spent three years of my career there and it was a gamble when I went there from England, but it worked out and it worked well.
“Some of my greatest times were over there – enjoyment, meeting people and playing football. Eoin has come in now and I think Derry are second in the league, they are doing really well.
“Derry were always a good team when I played over there. I think he will fit in perfectly. It will take him a little bit to get up to speed – just getting used to everybody and the intensity we play.
“It is a great league to spot players and I am pleased that he has joined us.”
Toal has been impressed with his first few days at Wanderers but is keeping his feet firmly on the ground ahead of the new season.
“It’s been brilliant. The players and staff have been very welcoming and have shown me about the place, I like it a lot.
“The stadium is unbelievable, it really is. It’s a massive stadium. It looks like a proper Premier League stadium. It’s a really good set-up, fantastic facilities and the people have all been really nice to me. I can’t complain, it's something I’m very grateful for," he told The Derry Journal.
“It probably will take a while for me to get my feet on the ground and get going because I’m moving to a different country and new league but I’ll be grand.
“You want to go as far as you can but at the moment I’m just focusing on getting settled here, getting training and taking one step at a time.”
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