Ireland Coaching Team Secured Until Euro 2028

The Republic of Ireland have moved to secure stability on the touchline, tying assistant coaches John O'Shea, Paddy McCarthy and Gudmundur Hreidarsson to new deals running until 2028.

The trio’s extensions mirror the contract signed earlier this year by head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson, keeping the entire senior coaching team in place through the end of the Euro 2028 qualifying cycle. The tournament will be staged in the UK and Ireland, sharpening the focus on building a side capable of performing on home soil.

“Since I arrived, John, Paddy, and Gummi have been an incredible support to me and integral to everything we are building here,” he said. “Their knowledge of the players and the Irish game is invaluable. I am delighted that we will continue to work together to drive this team forward and achieve the results our fans deserve.”

McCarthy will continue to juggle dual responsibilities, combining his role with Ireland with his coaching position at Crystal Palace. His club commitments have not prevented him from becoming a key figure in the national set-up, and the FAI have opted for continuity rather than change in a crucial period.

O'Shea, who stepped in as interim boss for four games in 2024 before Hallgrimsson took charge, described the extension as a privilege.

He said he is “honoured” to continue and added: “It is an incredibly exciting time for Irish football, and I am fully focused on helping lead this team toward a major tournament on home soil at Uefa Euro 2028.”

The coaching team will not have to wait long for their next test. Ireland return to competitive action later this month as they kick off their Uefa Nations League campaign, with fixtures against Kosovo, Israel and Austria offering an early measure of how far this long-term project has already come.