Ireland Coaching Staff Secured Until Euro 2028

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

The trio will remain in place alongside head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson, whose own contract was extended earlier this year to cover the full qualifying cycle for Euro 2028, to be staged in the UK and Ireland. It is a clear statement: the FAI want a settled team in the dugout as the country builds toward a major tournament on home soil.

McCarthy will continue to juggle his Ireland duties with his role on the coaching staff at Crystal Palace, maintaining his link with the Premier League while staying embedded in the international set-up.

Hallgrimsson made no secret of how central his backroom team have become since he took charge.

“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.”

For O'Shea, the deal extends a journey that briefly saw him step into the top job. The former Manchester United defender oversaw four games as interim manager in 2024 before Hallgrimsson’s appointment and has quickly become a key figure in the new regime.

He described himself as “honoured” to sign on, and set out the target in blunt terms.

“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,” O'Shea said.

Ireland’s next steps come quickly. The national side return to action later this month as they open their Uefa Nations League campaign, with group fixtures against Kosovo, Israel and Austria offering an early test of a coaching group now backed to shape the team for the long haul.