Oran Kearney tips retiring Sean O'Neill to be a top-class coach after goalkeeper hangs up the gloves
After bringing the curtain down on his 19-year playing career, Ballymena United manager Oran Kearney has tipped Sean O’Neill to have a similar impact as a coach.
O’Neill donned the gloves for the very last time as a player in Tuesday night’s 2-2 draw against Cliftonville as Ballymena United were twice pegged back at The Showgrounds.
Goals either side of half-time through Igor Rutkowski – sandwiched between Keevan Hawthorne’s equaliser at the other end – looked like giving United all three points until Joe Gormley came off the bench to snatch an equaliser.
O’Neill, who also played for Dungannon Swifts and Crusaders during his Irish League career, was given a standing ovation at the end as he now embarks on a coaching role at another club.
"I think he has a brilliant attitude, he's an energiser and the glass is always have full,” said Kearney on O’Neill’s new path as a coach.
"I think people like that in and around your staff are worth their weight in gold.
“He's a load of experience to draw on and I think his personality alone will bring a huge amount to a changing room.”
Kearney remarked that whilst he would’ve liked to have kept the 37-year-old until the end of the campaign – he was never going to stand in his way.
"I appreciate where he's at in his career,” he explained.
“At times, it's not about me, it's not about Ballymena, it's not about that.
"At times, you have to be respectful to the character, to the person and do your best by them.
"So, listen, Sean will go with everybody's best wishes in there.”