From FAI.ie:
Noel King appointed Under-21 Head Coach
Noel King was today (Monday, July 19th) confirmed as the new Head Coach of the Republic of Ireland Under-21 team. King will take charge of the Republic of Ireland Under-21 team for the first time on August 10th when the team host Estonia in a UEFA European Championship qualifying match at Tallaght Stadium.
King brings a wealth of experience to the role. After a long stint in club management, managing clubs such as Shamrock Rovers, Derry City, Limerick FC and Finn Harps, King was in 2000 appointed manager of the Republic of Ireland Women’s Senior team.
In the subsequent ten years, King has played a vital role in the strengthening of women’s football in Ireland. The Republic of Ireland Women’s Senior side has made significant progress under his guidance, while the Under-17 Women’s side last month finished second at the UEFA European Championships.
The success of the Under-17 side saw them qualify for the World Cup finals in September. King will continue to manage this team for the duration of the World Cup, with International Performance Director Wim Koevermans taking temporary charge of the Under-21 squad for their matches away to Switzerland on September 3rd and Turkey on September 7th.
The role of Women’s Senior Head Coach will be advertised straight away with the current Women’s Under 19 manager Sue Ronan taking charge on an interim basis.
FAI High Performance Director Wim Koevermans, said: “Noel has achieved tremendous success during his long career and he has rightly cemented his reputation as one of the best coaches in Ireland. His recent success in guiding the Women’s Under-17 squad to the World Cup is a testament to his abilities. He has plenty of experience, both at club and international level, and that will be important as he seeks to develop the next generation of young stars. I congratulate him on this appointment as he looks to bring his experience and coaching expertise to an important area of Irish football.”
Noel King said: “I am delighted to take on the exciting role of Head Coach with the Republic of Ireland Under-21 team. I have been involved with the women’s squads for ten years and I have thoroughly enjoyed having the opportunity to help develop women’s football in Ireland. I would like to thank everybody I have worked with over the last ten years for their magnificent support. This new role will see me work with players at a vital stage in their careers and it is a challenge that I am immensely looking forward to, starting with the match against Estonia in Tallaght on August 10th.”
Any thoughts on this? His last 10 years spent in the women’s game doesn’t sit well with me, irrespective of the improvements he’s overseen. That’s joke shop standard. It doesn’t necessarily mean that he won’t be able to bring players through, I suppose. I’m not sure really how well respected he is within Irish coaching circles overall.
