U23 squad to face England in Waterford

Press Release



Football Association of Ireland



March 18th, 2010



Paul Doolin appointed Republic of Ireland Under-23 manager



Paul Doolin was today (Thursday, March 18th) officially unveiled as the manager of the Republic of Ireland Under-23 team.



Doolin, who has previously managed Cork City, Drogheda United and UCD, will take charge of Ireland’s International Challenge Trophy campaign. Ireland will kick-off its participation in the tournament by facing England in Waterford’s RSC Stadium on May 26th.



Doolin brings a wealth of experience to the role, having enjoyed a highly successful career both as a player and as a manager. During a remarkable playing career, Doolin won every major domestic honour representing Bohemians, Shamrock Rovers, Derry City and Shelbourne.



After moving into management, Doolin claimed league and Setanta Sports Cup honours with Drogheda United and most recently managed Cork City. As well as having gained experience of managing in UEFA competition at club level, Doolin also holds a UEFA Pro Licence, UEFA’s highest coaching qualification, having worked his way up the FAI’s coaching ladder.



Following today’s announcement, Doolin will take charge of the Republic of Ireland Under-23 team, which will comprise of players selected from Airtricity League clubs. Eleven countries will compete in the International Challenge Trophy, with the Republic of Ireland having been drawn in a group with England and Estonia.



Speaking at today’s announcement, Paul Doolin said:



“I’m delighted to be given this opportunity. To be given the chance to represent your country is always an honour and I will be delighted to manage an Irish team on the international stage. The FAI has opted to use the International Challenge Trophy to showcase the best young talent in the Airtricity League and this is a great opportunity to demonstrate the depth of young talent in the league.



“We have some really fantastic young players in the Airtricity League and the opportunity to play at this level will be extremely beneficial for them. I am really looking forward to getting a squad together and preparing them for what should be a fantastic game against England in Waterford on May 26th.”



Fran Gavin, Director of the Airtricity League, said:



“The International Challenge Trophy is a very exciting tournament for the Airtricity League. There are so many excellent young players in our league and this tournament gives us the opportunity to demonstrate that on the international stage. We are delighted to be able to appoint a manager of the calibre of Paul Doolin.



“Paul was one of the most successful players to ever play in our league and he has transferred his knowledge and winning mentality into management. As well as knowing the Airtricity League inside-out, Paul has experience of managing in UEFA competition and also holds a UEFA Pro Licence. We considered him to be the ideal candidate for the job and everybody is very much looking forward to the game against England.”



Wim Koevermans, the FAI’s International High Performance Director, said:



“The FAI made the decision to use the International Challenge Trophy as an Airtricity League-based squad because we think it is an important vehicle to develop the best young players in the league. The last time we entered into this tournament, we were very strong and that showed how many good young players we have in the Airtricity League. I’m delighted that Paul is on board for the new campaign and I look forward to working closely with him.”



ENDS



Note on the International Challenge Trophy



The International Challenge Trophy is a UEFA-approved tournament which was first initiated in 2007. Eight countries competed in the first tournament, with the Republic of Ireland defeating Slovakia (2-0) and Northern Ireland (1-0), only to miss-out on qualification to the final after defeat to Belgium (1-2), who subsequently won the tournament.



While tournament rules allow squads to be picked from players based outside of the domestic league, the FAI has opted to select only players based in the Airtricity League in order to give young players in the league added experience and exposure.



The Republic of Ireland squad for the 2009/11 International Challenge Trophy will comprise of players born after 1st January 1986 who are currently playing in the Airtricity League.



Please find attached fixtures and results from the International Challenge Trophy 2009/11.



ENDS