Former Coleraine manager Dean Shiels has ruled himself out of the running for the vacancy at Glentoran – saying “I don’t think I would suit Glentoran with the way of thinking”.

Shiels enjoyed a successful playing career, winning silverware at Scottish giants Rangers, Kilmarnock and Dundalk alongside earning 14 caps for Northern Ireland.

The 41-year-old made a move into management with Dungannon Swifts in 2021, spending over two years in charge of the Co Tyrone club, and was appointed as a coach at Coleraine under Oran Kearney in April 2024.

Shiels was quickly promoted to the Bannsiders’ head coach position as they transitioned into full-time football and guided them to a fifth-placed league finish.

placeholder image — Former Dungannon Swifts and Coleraine manager Dean Shiels. (Photo by INPHO/Brian Little)

He had won seven and drawn four of his last 15 matches before being replaced by Ruaidhri Higgins ahead of a European play-off fixture.

Only Linfield (69), who won the league by 22 points, scored more goals than Coleraine (55) of top-half finishers during the 2024/25 campaign – their table progression was halted by conceding 50.

Shiels hasn’t returned to management since but was one of several names linked with the Glentoran job following Declan Devine’s exit.

He was present at Solitude to watch the Glens defeat Cliftonville 2-1 in his role as BBC Sportsound co-commentator, but doesn’t feel he’s a good match for The Oval outfit.

"No, I’ve not spoken to anyone at Glentoran and I don’t plan to,” Shiels told BBC Sportsound when asked about his name being linked to the job. “Glentoran will want a manager that’s instant success.

"In my last two jobs, I was looking at building youth, building foundations and trying to build for a longer term.

"I don’t think Glentoran would suit me, I don’t think I would suit Glentoran with the way of thinking.

"It’s an unbelievable club and a great opportunity for somebody...maybe they will get it right, they do have the financial backing of the owner for instant success, but it just hasn’t happened for them recently.

"They’ll maybe have to re-evaluate things.”

Glentoran are searching for their 11th new manager since last winning the Premiership title in 2009 – and Shiels feels the east Belfast club need to stop chasing instant success.

"I think Declan has been a bit of a victim in regards to the pressure which comes along with being at a big club,” added Shiels. “There’s so much instability.

"It seems to be rinse and repeat, rinse and repeat, every two years at Glentoran.

"Since the new owner came in 2019, he’s paid off a lot of debt, helped them get a little bit of stability there, but there’s been zero on-pitch success.

"There’s a number of managers who have had a crack at it...maybe the operational structure off the pitch, are they using the academy, I just think it runs deeper than current results.

"I think there’s a big, big job and it seems to be the same cycle.

"They seem to be looking for instant success and you can tell that with the recruitment of the players they sign – most of the players they sign are 31, 32.

"(Josh) Daniels is 30, (Jarlath) O’Rourke 31, Ross Clarke 33, (Pat) Hoban 35, it just seems to be they want instant success, there’s no long-term thinking, no long-term planning.

"It’s short fix, sack the manager, let’s get instant success, it doesn’t work, change the manager, and it’s just a cycle over and over again.”