Bonner opens up on his exit from FAI

Ireland legend Packie Bonner has spoken for the first time about his abrupt exit from the FAI in 2010 — admitting the prospect of staying on as a football ambassador was a non-starter for him.

Bonner’s 30-year service to the association as player, senior team goalkeeping coach and, lastly, head of overall development in the country made it natural for an ambassadorial role to be mooted for him when the unexpected cull from the Technical Director’s position came.

The Donegal man admits, however, he’d no interest in following Ray Houghton and Paul McGrath onto the part-time circuit, where posing for photographs at AGMs and pressing the flesh with prospective Premium ticket buyers figures highly in the brief.