Ireland have appointed former Iceland and Jamaica boss Heimir Hallgrimsson as their new men’s head coach ahead of the UEFA Nations League and World Cup qualifying campaigns.
The Icelander’s first game in charge will be the Sept. 7th Nations League match against England in Dublin.
“Ireland is rightly a proud footballing nation which has consistently produced talented players and enjoyed many memorable moments at major international tournaments,” Hallgrimsson said in a statement.
“We have a young and exciting team that has genuine potential. I am looking forward to working closely with the players to help coach and guide them towards improved performances and results ensuring we qualify and compete at major tournaments on a regular basis.
“I am also looking forward to getting to know the people of Ireland and in particular the wonderful fans of Irish football.”
The Football Association of Ireland’s (FAI) said Hallgrimsson’s experience as a head coach, his proven ability to move international teams up the FIFA world rankings, and a track record of qualifying for and competing at major tournaments made him the top candidate.
The 57-year-old was joint head coach of Iceland with Lars Lagerback when the team eliminated England in the Euro 2016 last-16 to reach the quarter-finals. Iceland reached their highest ever FIFA ranking of 18th during Hallgrimsson’s time there.
He resigned as head coach of Jamaica following their recent group-stage exit at the Copa America, where they lost all three games. Jamaica however climbed from 64th to 53rd on the world rankings during his tenure.
