Bonner fills vacant Kerr position

PACKIE Bonner was yesterday handed responsibility for continuing the development of the national coaching structure of the FAI when he was appointed technical director.

Bonner follows Brian Kerr into the post that has been vacant since Kerr was appointed manager to Ireland's senior international team.

He will combine the job with that of coach to Ireland's senior international goalkeepers and the coaching structure is developing so rapidly that he will be working full-time for the association.

Bonner, a winner of 80 international caps in the course of a glittering 19-year career with Celtic and with Ireland, yesterday reacted to his elevation by saying:

"This is a tremendous challenge and one I am really looking forward to.

"Brian Kerr has done magnificent work in this area and I am very familiar with it because I have been working with him over the past two years.

"I have a few changes planned but the most important aspect is to continue the development of the game throughout the country," he said.

Bonner won a place in the folklore of Irish football when his penalty save in a shoot-out against Romania earned Ireland a place in the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Italy in 1990.

He joined Celtic from Keadue Rovers and was the last signing made by Celtic manager, Jock Stein. He made his debut for Ireland on May 24, 1981 against Poland in Lodz on his 21st birthday. He played his last match for Ireland when he replaced Shay Given in the closing stages of a 3-0 win over Bolivia in the Giants Stadium in June 1996.

He won all the domestic honours in the game with Celtic four league titles, three cup medals and one league cup medal.