Having previously stood on the opposite side of the Mid Ulster divide, Stephen McDonnell has now become Niall Currie’s right-hand man as the duo look to mastermind a promotion drive at H&W Welders.

McDonnell and Currie first crossed paths when the former was at Warrenpoint Town and latter in charge of Carrick Rangers, but a further intensity was added in one of the Irish League’s most fierce rivalries between Glenavon and Portadown.

Currie struck first when his Ports, who were still in the Championship, defeated McDonnell’s Lurgan Blues 1-0 in a BetMcLean Cup semi-final in January 2024, but the Glenavon boss would get his revenge nine months later, securing a 2-1 Premiership victory at Mourneview Park.

Fast forward two years later, McDonnell and Currie have switched from foes to friends with their relationship enhanced by time spent together on the Irish FA’s UEFA Pro Licence course.

placeholder image — Stephen McDonnell is joining new H&W Welders manager Niall Currie at the Championship club. (Photo by H&W Welders FC)

As Currie plotted his Irish League return, one of the first phone calls he made was to McDonnell, who has been appointed as assistant manager at the Blanchflower Stadium.

While McDonnell was always determined to get the better of Currie in their previous roles, the 34-year-old believes this is the perfect next step in his coaching career – and is excited to learn from a manager who stands unrivalled as the Championship master.

"Niall and I have built up a good relationship over the last 20 months or so and we had discussions about potentially going in at Portadown,” he told the News Letter. “Then he moved on and he has got the Welders job...he picked the phone up and asked the question.

"I think people probably look at me as a manager because that's all I've done, I've never been asked to be somebody's number two and lead the coaching, the performance-based stuff.

"I just think it's the right time to get back in amongst it. The Welders have always been there or thereabouts and have ambitions to go up.

"Niall and I had some battles over the years and had many a falling out on the sideline, but we’ve kissed and made up!

"We get on very well and are now working alongside each other, trying to improve things at the Welders and see where we can go.

"I respect anybody that takes on the profession of management and leadership roles, naturally that respect was always there, even though we might have been enemies at some point!

"Niall’s got absolutely incredible numbers and good management and leadership skills.

"He's 54, been around the block and I'm sure I’m going to learn a few things off him, and with maybe the more modern approach, he'll learn a few things off me. I think it's a really good fit for both of us for this next chapter.”

McDonnell has spent almost two years away from the dugout after departing Glenavon in November 2024, 13 months on from succeeding Gary Hamilton at Mourneview Park.

While football has largely been the focus for most of McDonnell’s life, he opted to look beyond the pitch in recent times with wedding planning the priority, marrying his long-term partner Therese in Spain this summer.

"I have had a number of offers, but it was just timing, to be honest,” he added. “For the last 12 months, I put the wedding ahead of everything.

"I’ve been with my partner for 20 years, so I just felt that was something I wanted to do before I got back in, but I've had many opportunities that I have kindly rejected.

"I'm finishing up the Pro Licence next month and I just thought it's a good time to get back in amongst it.

"It was an easy decision. I'm still only 34, still young, and I haven't had a chance to be a number two and be somebody who just leads the grass all the time and not have to overly worry about the leadership, managing up, managing of players.

"It's just nice to get a different feel – that's not to say I'm not interested in going back into management, I absolutely am, but this was a good fit and it's an opportunity to give it a go and see how it suits me.”

Football often works in funny ways with an ex-Portadown manager and former Glenavon boss’ first match in charge of their new team against – you guessed it – Glenavon.

"Absolutely, you couldn't have wrote that one,” laughed McDonnell. “It is what it is, that's football, it was always going to come around at some point, especially when you're only 10 games into the season.

"That's one we'll enjoy, it's under the lights on, in my opinion, the best surface in the country, it’ll be a really enjoyable one.

"Hopefully the players can take on a little bit of this week’s training and we can get a positive result.”