Dundalk FC is delighted to announce that former Northern Ireland international midfielder Jim Magilton has been appointed as the club’s new sporting director.
The 51-year-old has been the elite performance director at the Irish Football Association (IFA) for the past seven years, developing the federation’s players in preparation for professional contracts in the UK and further afield.
A native of Belfast, Magilton’s playing career spanned two decades. In total, he played over 550 competitive games in England, becoming a household name at clubs like Oxford United, Southampton and Ipswich Town. He also won 52 caps for Northern Ireland, scoring on his international debut against Poland in 1991.
After retiring as a player in 2006, he spent three years as manager of Ipswich Town and also had a spell at QPR before taking up the number two role at Shamrock Rovers in 2011, helping Michael O’Neill’s side to the SSE Airtricity League title and qualification for the UEFA Europa League group stages.
After a short time in Australia as head coach of Australian A-League side Melbourne Victory, Magilton returned home to become the IFA’s elite performance director in 2013 where he was responsible for player development and the association’s coach education programme.
