Kenny is linked with Ireland manager post

Kenny is linked with Ireland manager post

TALLAGHTS Stephen Kenny has been heavily linked with the Ireland managerial position after Martin O’Neill parted company with the national team on Wednesday morning.

The former Bluebell United and Tallaght Town player is now tipped in some quarters to take over the Ireland reigns following their relegation to Division C of the UEFA Nations League.

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Tallaght's Stephen Kenny has been linked with the Ireland manager post

The joint most successful manager in the League of Ireland with five titles, he has enjoyed massive success with Dundalk since taking over in 2012 – winning four titles in five seasons, including two league and cup doubles.

Kenny initially started his LOI managerial career with Longford in 1998, joining as the youngest manager in National League history, aged 27.

After massive success in Longford where he gained promotion to the Premier Division, qualified for the UEFA Cup qualifiers and reached the FAI Cup decider, he joined Bohemians in 2001.

Success followed Kenny to Bohs as he made the FAI Cup final in his first season and captured the Premier Division after leading from start to finish the following year.

Following on from that he went on to have two very successful stints at Derry City in 2004 and 2008, taking over at Dunfermline in-between.

Having huge shoes to fill following the departure of Michael O’Neill from  then back-to-back champions Shamrock Rovers, Kenny joined the Hoops in 2011 but was ultimately sacked nine months later after a slump in the league.

The high-quality managerial touch that Kenny possesses it quite apparent, with his five Premier Division and two First Division medals, three FAI Cups, and several more medals all in his back pocket.

These credentials have seen him tipped to take over from O’Neill who took charge of Ireland in November 2013.

He led them to the last 16 of EURO 2016, but managed only a single victory in his last 11 games in charge – which came in a friendly against USA in June.

Also believed to be in the running for the job is former Ireland manager Mick McCarthy along with Sam Allardyce and Harry Redknapp.

The FAI announced in a statement on Wednesday that the board will “meet promptly to discuss the process of recruiting a new manager.”

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