Keith Long and Ollie Cahill to assume Shelbourne's academy roles

Waterford manager Keith Long. Pic: Bryan Keane/Inpho

Two League of Ireland figureheads, Keith Long and Ollie Cahill, are back on the beat as full-time academy recruits of Shelbourne.

Long, the former Bohemians and Waterford manager, was accepted onto the FAI’s panel earlier this year following invitations to candidates seeking employment through the Government’s Academy Investment Programme.

That was kickstarted by the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport pledging in the Budget an initial €3m, the first tranche of a multi-annual package.

Grants of €43,500 for the Academy director and €38,500 for the head of coaching respectively, are available to each eligible club and already several have filled their vacancies.

Shels were one of only six clubs across the 20 senior LOI men’s collective to have employed an academy head before the State funding tap was turned on but Colm Barron departed that role in April to join the FAI.

Former Cork City player Cahill returns to the football industry after finishing his 13-year stint with the Players Football Association of Ireland (PFAI) in 2022.

Having won three league titles with Shels as a player between 2003 and 2006, the 50-year-old last year returned to the club in a voluntary capacity as coach.