Glentoran Appoint Ferguson As New Manager

Glentoran have named former Everton and Rangers striker Duncan Ferguson as their new manager  on a multi-year deal. The 54-year-old, who also played for Dundee United and Newcastle United and earned seven caps for Scotland, takes charge of the Irish Premiership club in east Belfast.

Ferguson replaces Declan Devine, who left Glentoran in September. His first match in charge will be at home to Ballymena United on Saturday. Gary Bollan, a former Dundee United team-mate of Ferguson who worked with him at Inverness Caledonian Thistle, has been appointed assistant manager.

Ferguson’s coaching background includes assistant roles at Everton under Carlo Ancelotti and Rafael Benitez, as well as two spells as caretaker manager there. He has also managed Forest Green Rovers and Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

Glentoran have not won the league title since 2009, despite major investment from owner Ali Pour and a move to a full-time professional model in recent years. The club currently sit fourth in the Irish Premiership after five wins and four defeats in their first 11 league games.

Ferguson said he was delighted to take the job and described Glentoran as a big club with a strong history. He said the role carries responsibility and that he wants to win trophies, with the club expected to challenge for the title and every cup and shield it enters. He added that talks with Pour and sporting director Paul Millar increased his desire to accept the position, and that their ambition matched his own.

Pour said the appointment reflected Glentoran’s ambition to win trophies. He said the club had run a rigorous recruitment process, interviewing candidates from the United Kingdom, Ireland and Scandinavia, and had completed due diligence before making the decision. Pour added that he and Millar met Ferguson several times in Liverpool and were impressed by his football knowledge, experience, determination and qualities in coaching, leadership, player development and recruitment.

Former Glentoran captain Paul Leeman said the appointment was a huge one and expressed interest in Ferguson’s plans. He said it carried some risk because Ferguson is better known as a number two, but pointed to his top-level experience and said he would need staff around him who know the Irish League. Leeman added that Ferguson will demand respect from the players.

Glentoran had also been linked with former Northern Ireland international Jim Magilton, but he chose to stay with Irish Premiership rivals Cliftonville. Devine left Glentoran by mutual consent after two and a half years in charge and guided the club to the County Antrim Shield in the 2024-25 season, their first trophy since winning the Irish Cup in 2020.