Kerry native Diarmuid O'Carroll rising through the coaching ranks

RISING THROUGH THE RANKS:When Northern Ireland were in Copenhagen for June's friendly against Denmark, Michael O'Neill's assistant Diarmuid O'Carroll took the opportunity to finalise the next move in his unique coaching journey. Pic: BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images

When Northern Ireland were in Copenhagen for June's friendly against Denmark, Michael O'Neill's assistant Diarmuid O'Carroll took the opportunity to finalise the next move in his unique coaching journey.

Since ending a playing career that saw him play in England and Scotland before spells with Glenavon, Cliftonville and Crusaders, the 38-year-old former Republic of Ireland U21 international has already coached in Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and the United States.

Part of O'Neill's Northern Ireland backroom staff since 2023, O'Carroll's CV includes everything from Glentoran Women to the Downtown Las Vegas Soccer Club to Morecambe to Newcastle, where he was U21s manager last season.

Although offered a role at a top Championship club in the summer, O'Carroll instead sat down in Copenhagen with former Denmark international Brian Priske, who was putting together a staff for his return to Sparta Prague after leaving Feyenoord, and he offered O'Carroll a role as first-team coach.

"It was a brilliant opportunity," O'Carroll told the PA. "I knew Brian by his reputation and the job he'd done at Midtjylland (winning the Danish title in 2019/20) and at Sparta as well (winning back-to-back league titles in 2022/23 and 2023/24).

"It was a no-brainer for me to try to work with someone at that level."

After the Newcastle U21s allowed him to see the inner workings of a top Premier League club, working at Sparta brings the expectation of a club with a Czech-record 38 league titles. After Sunday's 1-1 draw with rivals Slavia, they sit one point clear at the top of the table.

"Ultimately if you're champions you've succeeded," O'Carroll said. "If you're not, you've failed."

O'Carroll has been clear in his ambition to manage in his own right. To get there, he wants to gain experience in as many different environments as possible.

"It's always got to be a step forward," he said when asked how he assesses job opportunities. "When I came towards the end of playing, I looked at the kind of dream jobs I wanted to get to, I looked at the experience and criteria required, and I've tried to work backwards in a way.

"I've tried to be as wide-ranging and varied as I possibly can so no one can ever say you don't have the experience or qualifications."

That did happen in 2021 when O'Carroll was named Northern Ireland's new U19s boss, only to have to withdraw a day later because he had not completed his Uefa Pro Licence.

"It was just a bit of a misunderstanding," he said. "I had no fallout with the IFA, no fallout with anybody."

Two years later he was back at Windsor Park as part of O'Neill's backroom staff, with international football another arena in which to push himself - one where building relationships with players you see for only a few weeks a year is critical.

O'Neill sees that was one of O'Carroll's key strengths.

"He's worked very hard to get to this position," O'Neill said. "Nothing has been handed to Diarmuid and he's had to make decisions that are brave."

O'Carroll has relished working with this emerging Northern Ireland squad as they look to return the country to a major international tournament.

"They are young and they remain young, but we've had a continuity of style, a continuity of staff and a continuity of message for two, three years," he said. "It's allowed us to build campaign to campaign. It's a really exciting time."