HEIMIR HALLGRÍMSSON WAS not the first choice to become the new Republic of Ireland manager.
That much is clear considering the prolonged search for Stephen Kenny’s successor officially began when his contract was not renewed last November.
The hope now is that Hallgrímsson proves to be the right choice.
Yesterday was a whirlwind, the appointment of the former Iceland and Jamaica boss coming so far out of left field that some board members and other senior staff were only informed of the news after he had landed in Dublin airport and carried out duties for his unveiling at a city centre hotel.
That is exactly the way FAI director of football Marc Canham hoped it would be.
He wanted the decision to remain top secret and is understood to feel a sense of pride that news of Hallgrímsson’s appointment did not leak before it was announced.
Indeed, Canham was even the one waiting to greet Hallgrímsson at Dublin airport so he could drive him into town himself to put pen to paper on the contract that will see him take charge of the Nations League campaign and forthcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Hallgrímsson may be the dentist that masterminded England’s downfall in the round of 16 at Euro 2016 with Iceland, but his profile is still so low key enough for any onlookers not to need a double take at his arrival.
Canham had led this recruitment process with previous input from the former CEO Jonathan Hill.
In the FAI’s official announcement of Hallgrímsson’s appointment, association president Paul Cooke made sure to “thank my fellow members of the recruitment panel, David Courell, Aoife Rafferty, Packie Bonner and in particular our director of football Marc Canham who collectively ran a very thorough and confidential process which was respectful of the candidates involved and which identified and secured the standout candidate”.
For Canham, those who have worked closely with him and witnessed his changing demeanour around Abbotstown already noted how it appears a weight lifted off his shoulders.
Earlier this year, for example, some colleagues could see the toll the search was taking. He was described as “looking like a ghost” around the same time as he had confirmed that John O’Shea would be in interim charge for the March friendlies with Belgium and Switzerland.
By that point, Ireland’s No 1 target Lee Carsley was most definitely out of the race having been pursued in the months beforehand.
In the days after Canham sat beside O’Shea to confirm that a permanent manager would be in place by early April, Carsley reaffirmed his commitment to the English FA and made it clear to his bosses there that he was not the candidate Canham was referring to when he said this: “The process of the appointment of the permanent new head coach is very close to the end, nearing the end-point, and we look forward to announcing that new permanent head coach in early-April.
“Existing contractual obligations mean we are not in a position to announce any further details on this point, but as we have committed to, we will announce that in early April.”
That never materialised as speculation, confusion and contradicting stories filled the void.
Neil Lennon and Chris Coleman had gone far in the interview process but both were told they wouldn’t get the job in the middle of February.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had been approached in January and, as The 42 understands, the job was his if he wanted it. He declined.
Roy Keane confirmed on the Stick to Football podcast that he was also approached.
Canham said yesterday that it was “earlier this year, we identified Heimir as our number one candidate whose capabilities and experience aligned with our criteria.”
When the pair sit side by side at Aviva Stadium today to meet the media, along with interim CEO Courell, one of the main questions to answer will be whether Hallgrímsson was the candidate Canham was speaking about when he mentioned those “existing contractual obligations” being the reason to delay an appointment until early April.
Asked in an in-house interview with the FAI yesterday about when he first heard about interest, Ireland’s new manager said: “It was some time back I heard, but like others that contacted [me], I told them that I would be focused on the Copa America and we decided after the Copa America what we would do. It was just an honour to be thought of as the next possible coach for the Republic.”
That would appear to suggest that the 57-year-old could not have been the man in question given his tenure with Jamaica only ended after their exit from that competition on 1 July after three group stage defeats.
Also, we revealed at the end of March how Gus Poyet had turned down the chance to become manager after being offered the job.
When O’Shea was then asked to take interim charge for June’s friendlies the sense was that the FAI were floundering.
The 42 also understands that Canham had kept O’Shea in the loop from the outset that he was only going to be in place on a caretaker basis, regardless of his four-game stint, and that he was informed a candidate who would not be involved at the European Championships was the preferred choice.
This tallies with sources who had been close to Canham and state that while he never mentioned the Icelander by name he always retained a confidence in securing the appointment he wanted – one that was not being named in the media.
That would also appear to rule out Willy Sagnol who helped Georgia qualify out of their group at the Euros.
Yet, as late as May, it’s also understood that one of Kenny’s former assistants, Anthony Barry, was also still strongly in the frame.
There is plenty to clear up in the timeline, and Canham and Hallgrímsson will be pressed on that later today.
Part of the reason for Poyet walking away from talks previously was because he did not have full control over appointing his own staff. The FAI want to make it a “collaborative approach” and it’s expected that Hallgrímsson will have his staff in place over the next two weeks.
The FAI also made it clear they want the new manager to be based in Ireland with a presence in Abbotstown as well as around the country.
Given the Player Pathway Plan unveiled by Canham earlier this year and Hallgrímsson’s experience in his native Iceland at helping to overhaul structures that may well come in handy.
But the primary focus is the men’s senior team.
“I think Ireland has under-performed a little for the recent years, a young and talented squad, but still with a lot of experience, international experience. They have games under their belt and I feel the future is here,” Hallgrímsson said.
“What has been done in the past with previous coaches has been really helpful. So learning from what they have been doing from a little bit more ball possession type football, but I thought that John O’Shea took it a little bit back to more kind of basics and we should always start from basics and build on from there.
“I think the Irish are hard-working but they are also proud people, proud of their heritage and who they are. You can always build a lot around hard-working people, proud people and if you can implement some other aspects then the team should represent those characteristics on the pitch.”
Hallgrímsson is the man that Canham has finally landed on to now lead a team that represent those same characteristics.
