Stephen McDonnell back in Irish League as Glenavon boss

McDonnell will step into the full-time role as a replacement for long-serving Gary Hamilton.

A Glenavon club statement read as follows:

“Glenavon Football Club is pleased to announce the appointment of Stephen McDonnell as full-time manager.

“The 31-year-old former Warrenpoint Town manager led them to a first-ever Irish Cup semi-final in 2019.

"He has been Dundalk first-team coach/Academy manager, Shelbourne under 19 head coach and has also worked as assistant development coach with the Irish Football Association.

“He takes up his duties at Mourneview Park immediately and will meet the players prior to training this evening.

“Stephen has named former Glenavon favourite Simon Kelly (a member of our 2016 Irish Cup-winning team) as his assistant manager.”

Glenavon chairman Adrian Teer highlighted the ‘high degree of contact’ in the vacant Mourneview Park position.

“We had a high degree of contact concerning the managerial vacancy from within Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, England, Portugal and Spain,” said Teer. “I would take this opportunity to sincerely thank all those who expressed interest in the post and those to whom we spoke.

“Stephen comes as a young tracksuit manager whose training and coaching skills are widely recognised and who has an in-depth knowledge of football at senior and junior levels on both sides of the border.

"We are delighted to bring him to Glenavon.”