Former Galway United captain Billy Clery will head a new management team at Galway Women's FC next season.
The native Galwayman takes over from Don O'Riordan, and will be assisted by Donegal's Maz Sweeney as assistant manager, joining Susie Cunningham, who continues as strength and conditioning coach, and kit manager John Devlin.
Clery is synonymous with Galway soccer, having made his debut for United aged 16. He player played more than 400 League of Ireland games for Galway United and Derry City, and captained United for eight years.
As United U21 coach, he took over as senior caretaker manager, and has been involved also with NUI Galway's Collingwood Cup side, Barna-Furbo, and with underage Galway and District League sides.
Clery says he is "quietly confident" of bringing success to the women's team.
"The nucleus of the team is here. We’ve numerous under 17, under 19 and senior internationals. I think we’ve a bright future and a great chance of doing well this season.”
Maz Sweeney, who joins Clery, has experience of the women's game as assistant coach of the Irish U19 women’s team, and believes Galway will be looking to add to the squad.
"There are some key players out there on my list that I’d like to bring in to add to the good pool of players who were there last year," she says. "We want to bring it to another level.”
Meanwhile Galway WFC’s defender Chloe Maloney was named on the Women’s National League 2016 team of the season, while 16-year-old midfielder Sadhbh Doyle from Barna is one of three players nominated for the league’s 2016 young player of the year.
