FORMER IRISH U21 international Gary Dicker has been named as coach of Brighton’s U18s.
Dicker brought an end to a 17-year playing career by announcing his retirement last week, and now steps into a full-time coaching role at the Premier League club. Having played more than 150 times for Brighton in England’s second and third tiers, he returned to the club at the start of this season in a player-coach role with the club’s U23s.
Dicker was designated as one of the overage players, competing in the Premier League’s U23s league. He trained and played with the U23s – with Irish talents including Evan Ferguson, James Furlong and Andrew Moran – and also ran set pieces and sessions on the days he didn’t play.
Having announced the end of his playing career last week, Dicker has now taken a full-time coaching role with the club’s U18s alongside James Baxter.
“Gary follows in the footsteps of Liam Rosenior – who is now at Derby County – Steve Sidwell, and Andrew Crofts in past Brighton players completing the player to coach scheme we have”, said Brighton’s Academy manager John Morling, who was once the Head of the Emerging Talent Programme at the FAI.
“We were proud that another top professional chose to come into our environment when Gary joined and this change in role will be hugely beneficial at the start of a new chapter for him.
“We’re excited to see him develop as a coach with the U18s, working jointly with James Baxter.”
Fair play
A very decent gesture. Well done.
Great stuff Matt
Thats an outstanding gesture, practical, straight to the players and coaches at the coal face and no way that administrators can waste it (he says hopefully)
@Rochey77: yeah imagine the money went to Delaney instead, he’d have spent it on a ice sculpture of himself
Well done.
On a related note Robbie Keane needs to take note, as a multi millionaire he should step down from his FAI role and stop waiting around for a payout from our bankrupt soccer association which will ultimately mean funds go into his large bank account instead of grass roots football
@stoned.walled: totally agree – can you make any sense of giving him a 5 year assistant manager role when McCarthy was only on a 2.5 year contract ? Keane is holding out for the big payout and from reading media reports he seems to feel he is entitled to it as a “Irish footballing legend “……. he looks to join a list who have taken millions from FAI in termination settlements (MO’N – €4m apparently – Roy Keane €1M apparently. ) Now when FAI ask the Irish government for bailouts this becomes all of our business ….
@Fred Frederickson: Robbie Keane signed the deal he negotiated with the FAI and should be paid up. Robbie is a legend and has given everything in the green Jersey. Have some respect for the man. A deal is a deal. Just because the FAI are bad negotiatiors and incompetent
@padar: he is no longer a legend in my eyes.
Question who needs the money / will benefit more, Robbie Keane to piss away (as it’s buttons to him) or grass roots soccer (ie kids playing)
FairPlay, I’m aware of that course and the work they do with disadvantaged communities. Great gesture by Matt Doherty.
RoyKeane is all piss and wind should have had his Irish Passport taken away after the Saipan incident. I remember the Evening Herald running a front page fundraiser for Robbie Keane father to go and see him play in the U.18 Euro finals, Robbie has pocketed over €10M as his cut from transfers alone, so come on Robbie let’s see what your made of.
Soccer just reflects society – some give to their communities & some have a sense of entitlement & don’t give anything back. The latter usually give out about everything & everybody also
24 laptops, 24 GPS systems and a motion camera for 15k? Can you find out where he shops? Fair play to him.
Good man!