'He was the club’s primary target': Former Cliftonville and Portadown defender appointed Institute manager

The Brandywell side have moved quickly to replace Deery, who departed on Wednesday after two seasons in charge across his second stint, with Hutton set to lead ‘Stute into next term’s Championship campaign.

Hutton made over 650 appearances for local club Derry City and also enjoyed stints in the Irish League with the Ports and Cliftonville alongside spells at Shelbourne and Finn Harps.

The 52-year-old’s last senior managerial role came with the Candystripes in 2015, leading Derry City to the FAI Cup final before departing, but he’s now back in the dugout at Institute.

"Institute Football Club is excited to announce that Peter Hutton has agreed to be our new First Team Manager,” the club posted on social media “The Club’s Executive Committee considered a number of potential candidates.

"However, Peter’s professional demeanor, extensive experience, and legendary status ensured that he was the club’s primary target from the outset and we are absolutely delighted to be starting the 25/26 season with Peter at the helm.

“We know that our fans and our players will embrace this appointment and we look forward to an exciting future under Peter’s leadership.

“Additional details, outlining Peter’s support staff will be announced in due course.”

Following Deery’s departure, Institute posted: “Institute Football Club can confirm that the club has parted ways by mutual consent with Manager, Kevin Deery.

“We would like to sincerely thank Kevin for his hard work, dedication, and leadership during his time as our manager.

“Kevin has been an important part of the club’s journey, and his contributions both on and off the pitch are greatly appreciated.

“We wish Kevin all the best in his future endeavors and thank him once again for his service to the club.”