Mike Riley appointed Irish Football Association’s head of refereeing

Riley takes up the position next month after stepping down as general manager of the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) in England, a position he held for 14 years.

“I am fortunate to have enjoyed close links to refereeing in Northern Ireland for many years,” Riley, 58, told the IFA website.

“I am really looking forward to joining the Irish FA and working with all of the match officials and the support team.

“The next few years will be an exciting time for football in Northern Ireland and we want refereeing to continue to contribute to the game’s development.”

Riley will combine his new IFA role with some coaching and development for PGMOL.

He will also help represent the IFA on technical matters at the International Football Association Board (IFAB), on which the IFA sits alongside the other home nations and FIFA.

Graham Fitzgerald, IFA chief operating officer, said: “We are delighted to welcome Mike to the Irish FA family. He brings a wealth of experience to lead us into the next phase of strategic development for our match officials.

“Mike will build on the excellent work done by Trevor Moutray (the current head of refereeing, who is retiring) and motivate and inspire existing officials, attract new officials and drive higher standards across all levels of the football pyramid.”