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Eileen Gleeson. Ryan Byrne/INPHO

Ireland assistant Gleeson set to leave role to take over at 14-in-a-row Scottish champions

The Dubliner will start as manager of Glasgow City in November.

IRELAND WOMENโ€™S TEAM assistant manager Eileen Gleeson is leaving her position, the FAI announced this morning. 

The Dubliner will take over at 14-in-a-row Scottish Womenโ€™s Premier League champions Glasgow City from next month. 

Gleeson, a Uefa Pro Licence holder, landed a role on Vera Pauwโ€™s coaching staff in October 2019, following a successful managerial career in the Womenโ€™s National League with Peamount United and UCD Waves (now DLR Waves). 

She will continue to work with the Ireland squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Sweden and Finland, as well as overseeing a home-based training session with the WNL players, before starting at Glasgow City in November.

Grant Scott became interim coach of the club in July, following Scott Boothโ€™s departure for Birmingham City.

The most successful club in Scottish womenโ€™s football, Glasgow City are currently second in the SWPL 1 table and have Ireland internationals Claire Walsh, Niamh Farrelly, Clare Shine and Aoife Colvill on their books.

โ€œThis is a bittersweet feeling for me because on one side I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to work with Glasgow City โ€“ one of the most progressive clubs in womenโ€™s football โ€“ but on the other side I am leaving on the cusp of very exciting times for womenโ€™s football in Ireland and the beginning of the World Cup Qualifying campaign with the Irish team,โ€ Gleeson said. 

โ€œBut I feel that this opportunity with Glasgow is one that I couldnโ€™t turn down in order to take the next step forward in my career and development as a manager. It is really unfortunate that it comes just when we are starting our World Cup qualifying campaign โ€“ something that I was really looking forward to as I genuinely believe that we can qualify for the tournament in 2022.

โ€œThe last two years have been unbelievable. Iโ€™ve learnt so much by working alongside Vera. The same with the players and the backroom staff, it was a pleasure to work with all and to share so many highlights.

I firmly believe that this team is capable of doing something special. I wish everyone involved the very best of luck going forward and will always be the teamโ€™s number one supporter.

โ€œIโ€™d like to thank Ruud Dokter for his continued support and also thank the FAI Board, CEO Jonathan Hill and all of the coaches, administrators, players and officials in the SSE Airtricity Womenโ€™s National League, Dave Connell, James Scott and Tom Elmes with our underage international teams, and especially Vera, Jan Willem van Ede, Andy Holt, the entire backroom staff and, of course, the players.โ€

vera-pauw-celebrates-at-the-final-whistle-with-eileen-gleeson Gleeson and Ireland manager Vera Pauw. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO

Ireland manager Vera Pauw added: โ€œI am really disappointed to lose Eileen from our team, having built up such a good working relationship and achieved a lot in the development of our squad over the last two years. But Iโ€™m also really happy for her to take this step in her career by accepting the role with Glasgow City.

I wish her all the success she can get both in the Scottish Championship and in the Uefa Womenโ€™s Champions League. She has so much to offer and will add all her experience and knowledge to the team.

โ€œWherever I have worked I have always wanted an assistant coach from the country I worked who knew the local players and had a strong understanding of the football culture of the country. In that regard, Eileen has been one of the best that Iโ€™ve worked with in my career and I thank her for all that she brought to the role with the Ireland squad.

โ€œWe have enjoyed some intense and great times together, along with the players and the extended backroom staff, and Iโ€™m sure the work that Eileen has done will help us in our quest to qualify for the 2023 Fifa Womenโ€™s World Cup.โ€

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    Mute Guybrush Threepwood
    Favourite Guybrush Threepwood
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    Oct 12th 2017, 3:38 PM

    No interest in the game now but was a Newcastle fan at the time and have to say itโ€™s hilarious to hear Shearer say that as you could practically see him shaking when Keane squared up to him.

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    Mute Anton Friendo
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    Oct 12th 2017, 3:43 PM

    @Guybrush Threepwood: Fun times

    its boring now

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    Mute Stephen Lyons
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    Oct 12th 2017, 5:08 PM

    @Anton Friendo: Yeah that type of game died out in the absence of the likes of Keane, Gatusso, De Jong etc. unfortunately..

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    Mute Guybrush Threepwood
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    Oct 12th 2017, 5:27 PM

    @Guybrush Threepwood: It was the norm in school to support English soccer. Enlightenment happens only when you leave the education system.

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    Mute Niall Browne
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    Oct 12th 2017, 4:22 PM

    If you read craig bellamys autobiography, he played in that game , he said Shearer was the last one off the pitch at the end of the game because he knew Keane was waiting for him

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    Mute Gerry Ivie
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    Oct 12th 2017, 7:31 PM

    @Niall Browne: Bellamy is going to say that isnโ€™t he? Seeing as Shearer battered him in Dawson St when they were over here. Bad mouthed him too when he thought a transfer away from St James Park was happening. Nearly shit himself when it fell through and he had to show up there for training.

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    Mute Niall
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    Oct 12th 2017, 9:25 PM

    @Gerry Ivie: it was Keith Gillespie that Shearer punched in Dublin.

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    Mute James Murphy
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    Oct 12th 2017, 6:03 PM

    Probably a lot bias here. Both great players and true warriors representing their respective teams. Love Keane but also like Shearer for being a great number 9. Hope Kane breaks his record though!

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    Mute Gustave H
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    Oct 12th 2017, 8:33 PM

    Grown ups arguing about one manโ€™s ability to beat up another when the know neither and have never seen either actually fight.

    The level of cringe is spine tingling.

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    Mute Eoin Long
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    Oct 12th 2017, 11:38 PM

    @Gustave H: I donโ€™t think anyone is arguing here. Everyone seems to be in agreement that Shearer looked genuinely afraid of Keane during that particular confrontation. Which was understandable to an extent, because Keaneโ€™s lack of self control and reckless abandon was rarely more evident than during that game.

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    Mute Stephen Lyons
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    Oct 12th 2017, 4:30 PM

    Funny considering that you could visibly see the point when Shearer sh*t himself at the time

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    Mute Stonerpug
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    Oct 12th 2017, 3:38 PM

    You wouldnโ€™t have had it in you Alan. Stick to throwing balls at him from a safe distance you coward.

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    Mute The Bloody Nine
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    Oct 12th 2017, 4:50 PM

    @Stonerpug: it was Keane who threw the ball as well as the punch. Shearer did the smart thing and stood there while Roy had a meltdown and got himself sent off in the last minute for no reason.

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    Mute O'Brien Michael
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    Oct 12th 2017, 10:58 PM

    @The Bloody Nine: You are 100% Correct.Shearer was too smart for that nonsense

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