Baraclough appointed Northern Ireland boss
Former Sligo Rovers manager Ian Baraclough has been confirmed as the new manager of the Northern Ireland senior team, taking over from Michael O’Neill who left to become manager of Stoke City.
Baraclough spent the last three years as Under 21 manager with Northern Ireland.
He previously was assistant at Oldham, following a spell as manager of Motherwell.
He is Sligo Rovers’ most successful manager, having won the league, FAI Cup and Setanta Cup with the club during his spell as manager between 2012 and 2014.
The new Northern Ireland manager Ian Baraclough said: “I was delighted to be linked to the job. To ultimately accept the role as the new Northern Ireland manager is an honour and a privilege. I couldn’t be more energised and excited to get going.”
He is the second former Sligo Rovers manager to take over at Northern Ireland, with Lawrie Sanchez the first to follow that path.
Northern Ireland face Bosnia-Herzegovina in the UEFA Euro 2020 play-off semi-final in October, and the winners of that game will play either Slovakia or the Republic of Ireland in the Euro 2020 qualification play-offs.
The former Scunthorpe man took over at The Showgrounds days before the start of the 2012 season, with then manager Paul Cook departing for his former club Accrington Stanley.