Irish League manager admits 'it will be a bit mad' coming up against his former Linfield boss David Jeffrey
Almost 30 years after first working under David Jeffrey, Lee Feeney admits “it’ll be a bit mad” coming up against his former manager next season after the Irish League legend was named new Portadown boss.
Having collected 32 trophies across successful spells at both Linfield and Ballymena United, iconic figure Jeffrey is set to make a sensational dugout return at Shamrock Park.
Following Niall Currie’s exit last week, Portadown have moved to appoint Jeffrey as his successor with the 63-year-old taking over ahead of next term – interim manager Gary Thompson will lead the Co Armagh club into their final Premiership match of the season at Bangor on Saturday.
Jeffrey boasts vast experience having overseen 1,290 matches with his impressive trophy haul including nine Irish League titles, seven Irish Cup crowns and seven League Cups.
It was during their time together at Linfield that Jeffrey labelled Feeney ‘The Golden Child’ due to his outstanding ability and later sanctioned a transfer to Scottish giants Rangers.
Feeney has followed in Jeffrey’s footsteps by forging his own managerial career, masterminding Bangor’s surge from Northern Ireland’s third-tier to top-flight, and while surprised, he’s delighted to see Jeffrey making a return.
"It's good for the profile of the Irish League and for Portadown Football Club,” he said. “They have maybe pulled off a masterstroke here, time will tell.
"It will be a bit mad coming up against him. He was my manager 30 years ago and now I'm going to be coming up against him.
"Credit to him for being in the game for this long because we know how it can take over your life.
"He has had a nice break, I'm sure he's hungry and full of new ideas. He's going to come in with a lot of fire in his belly.
"He did (have a big role in my career). I got on well with David and still do to this day. He has been good to me...I never thought I'd say this, but now he's the enemy!
"It's amazing to think how long he has been involved in football and in management. It was 30 years ago he transferred me to Rangers and he's still managing here. It says a lot about him.
"There's no better man...with the experience he has, he knows how to deal with everything that comes with being a manager because it's a really tough job. If there's anybody who knows all about it, it's David.”