Let’s make more history, says Stephen Kenny

Stephen Kenny is determined to justify his selection as the Philips Sports Manager of the Year by guiding Dundalk into the last 32 of the Europa League tonight.

The 45-year-old had just taken his seat for a pre-match press conference ahead of the clash with Maccabi Tel Aviv in Netanya Stadium yesterday when word broke of his selection as only the third League of Ireland manager to win the award, after Jim McLaughlin in 1986 and Paul Doolin in 2007.

Due to the fact he is in Israel, his wife Siobhan and daughter Caoimhe had to collect the honour on his behalf in Dublin as he saw off competition from the likes of Martin O’Neill, Frank Gavin, John Kavanagh, and Joe Schmidt.