Cork City last night announced the surprise appointment of Derek Mountfield as their manager. Cork were thrown in chaos a fortnight ago when newly appointed manager Colin Murphy took up a job offer with Leicester City which left the club high and dry.

Mountfield has agreed a full-time two-year contract with the Leesiders which will take effect immediately. Liam Murphy, who has been caretaker manager since Colin left, has been appointed assistant manager.

The 37-year-old former defender was playing first-class football with Scarborough up until the end of the 1999 season.

He began his career at Tranmere Rovers in 1980 and two year's later he got a dream move to Goodison Park to join Everton. The Toffees paid £300,000 for the defender but his shows on the pitch proved the price to be a bargain.

In his six years at Everton he won the League title, the FA Cup and the crowning moment of his career came in the 1985 Cup Winners' Cup when Everton beat Rapid Vienna 3-1 in the final in Rotterdam. After Everton Mountfield played for six other clubs including Aston Villa and Wolves.

Derek applied for the Cork job when Colin Murphy was appointed so it is a case of second time lucky. He will be introduced to the Cork City fans before tonight's friendly against Wolves at Turner's Cross.

Mountfield said: "It's a great challenge for me. I have been out of the mainstream in football for over a year and I am looking forward to the challenge of managing such a progressive club as City."