Roy Carroll has been appointed as the new goalkeeping coach for the Northern Ireland senior men’s team.

The former Northern Ireland and Manchester United keeper takes over from Steve Harper after he left the role to become Newcastle United Academy Manager.

Carroll (43), who has been goalkeeping coach to Northern Ireland’s Under-19 and U-17 teams for the past six months, has been coaching for several years.

Fermanagh man Carroll said: 

“It was always my ambition to forge a career in coaching once I had hung up my goalkeeping gloves so this is a real privilege.

“I am looking forward to mentoring and developing our keepers of the future and I can’t wait to get started.”

Northern Ireland senior men’s team manager Ian Baraclough added: “I’m delighted to have Roy on board. He served Northern Ireland with distinction as a player and I fully expect him to carry his enthusiasm with him into his role as a coach.”

Carroll has already had a taste of the Northern Ireland senior coaching set up. In March he was called in by Baraclough to act as goalkeeping coach for the senior side’s matches against Italy, USA and Bulgaria.