FORMER Manchester United goalkeeper Roy Carroll has been confirmed as the new Northern Ireland men’s goalkeeping coach.
The vastly-experienced Fermanagh native takes over from Steve Harper who vacated the role last week to become Newcastle United Academy Manager. Carroll (43), who has been goalkeeping coach to Northern Ireland’s U19 and U17 teams for the past six months and has been coaching for several years.
“It was always my ambition to forge a career in coaching once I had hung up my goalkeeping gloves so this is a real privilege,” said Carroll.
“I am looking forward to mentoring and developing our ’keepers of the future and I can’t wait to get started.”
Enniskillen-born Carroll won 45 caps for the North in a senior career that spanned three decades from his debut in 1997 against Thailand to his final cap in 2017.
Northern Ireland manager Ian Baraclough said he was delighted to have the former Linfield stopper on board.
“He served Northern Ireland with distinction as a player and I fully expect him to carry his enthusiasm with him into his role as a coach,” said Barraclough.
Carroll, who played for Dungannon Swifts in the Danske Bank Premiership last season, and over the past five years he has also been providing coaching expertise to clubs at various levels across Northern Ireland and has set up his own coaching academy for goalkeepers.
During his time at Manchester United he won a Premier League medal (2002-03), while he won a Super League title and two cups with Olympiakos when he played with the Greek club between 2012 and 2014.
His list of previous clubs (13 in all) also includes Hull City, whom he joined as a trainee in 1995 before turning pro, along with Derby County, Odense BK (Denmark), OFI Crete (Greece), Rangers and Notts County.
