John O’Shea will join the Republic of Ireland senior men’s team as assistant coach to Stephen Kenny, the Football Association of Ireland has announced.
O’Shea, currently a first-team coach at Stoke, won 118 caps for the Republic during his playing career – the third-highest tally in team history – alongside domestic spells at Manchester United, Bournemouth, Sunderland and Reading.
He became part of the national set-up as an under-21s coach in April 2020, and will link up with the senior coaching team for the first time in March as Euro 2024 qualification gets underway.
O’Shea said: “I’m delighted to join the Ireland senior international team coaching staff and looking forward to working with Stephen and the rest of the backroom team when the campaign begins in March.
“It was always an honour to play for my country and put on the green shirt, so to join the coaching staff and work with the current group of players and staff is an amazing opportunity for me.
“I’d like to thank Jim Crawford and the Ireland Under-21 backroom team who have been fantastic to work with over the last few years and wish them every success after such a strong qualification campaign last year.
“We’ve got a really exciting group of players, a good mix of youth and experience, and some fantastic fixtures to look forward to this year, so I can’t wait for it to begin and to get to work with the squad and staff.”
Kenny added: “We’re delighted to welcome John to the senior international coaching team.
“John had a brilliant career playing for Ireland right through from Under-15 to earning 118 caps for his country. Following that, he has committed himself to a career in coaching, working with both Reading and Stoke City for almost four years now.
“I have watched his progress closely as he made a positive contribution throughout his time with the team. John will now make the transition into the senior coaching team where he knows the team well.”
