John Russell Appointed Shelbourne FC Head Coach | OneFootball

DUBLIN, Ireland – 13 July 2026: 

Shelbourne FC is delighted to announce the appointment of John Russell as Head Coach of the Men’s First Team.

Russell joins the Reds from Sligo Rovers, where he has served as first team manager since June 2022, having previously spent three seasons as assistant manager at the Showgrounds. Russell has signed a long term agreement with the club.

The Galway native brings extensive League of Ireland experience to Tolka Park, both as a player and a coach.

Russell enjoyed three spells as a player with Sligo Rovers, winning two FAI Cups, the EA Sports Cup and the Setanta Sports Cup. He also won the Premier Division title with St Patrick’s Athletic in 2013.

After taking charge of Sligo midway through the 2022 season, Russell led the club through two rounds of UEFA Europa Conference League qualifying, overcoming Bala Town and Motherwell before their campaign ended against Norwegian side Viking FK.

Russell is the only Sligo Rovers manager to have guided the club through two rounds of European competition.

On the domestic front, Russell guided Sligo Rovers to a fifth-place finish in his first season in charge, followed by eighth in 2023, sixth in 2024 and seventh last season.

During his time at the Showgrounds, Russell demonstrated a strong commitment to developing emerging talent while also identifying and recruiting players from outside the League of Ireland, including current Shelbourne midfielder Jack-Henry Francis.

Russell will take charge of the Men’s First Team with immediate effect and will be in the dugout for Friday’s trip to Kerry FC in the FAI Cup.

Speaking on his appointment, John Russell said:

“It’s a privilege to become head coach of Shelbourne Football Club. This is one of the biggest clubs in Irish football, with a proud history and supporters who expect success.

From the outside, I’ve always admired the standards that have been built here, and I’m excited to be part of the next chapter.

I would also like to thank everyone at Sligo Rovers for the opportunity to begin my managerial career. I will always be grateful to the players, staff, supporters, and everyone connected with the club for the trust and support they gave me throughout my time there.

My full focus is now on Shelbourne. I understand the expectations that come with this role, and that’s exactly why I wanted this job. There is real quality within this squad, and I am looking forward to working with the players, helping them develop further, and building a team capable of competing for success.

I want our supporters to come to Tolka Park excited about what they’re going to see. We want a team who is brave in possession, aggressive out of possession, and leaves everything on the pitch.

I cannot wait to get started, meet the supporters, and begin working with everyone at the football club.”

Shelbourne FC CEO Tomás Quinn said:

“We are delighted to welcome John to Shelbourne Football Club. Following a rigorous recruitment process, John stood out as the outstanding candidate through his leadership, his understanding of the League of Ireland and the experience he has both of the league and in Europe.

He has considerable experience of building dressing rooms in a demanding environment, while his work in developing young players and creating opportunities for them strongly aligns with the direction of Shels.

John understands the expectations that come with managing this club. We believe he has the ambition, ability and personality to lead the club into its next chapter.

On behalf of the board and everyone at the club, I would like to welcome John to Tolka Park and wish him every success in the role.”

Shelbourne FC Technical Director Luke Byrne said: “John is an experienced and highly regarded League of Ireland coach, and we’re really pleased to bring him to the club.

He has shown an ability to improve players, recruit intelligently and trust young talent, while also building teams that are organised, competitive and clear in how they want to play.

Throughout our conversations, John demonstrated a strong understanding of our players, the style he wants to bring and the success we want to achieve at the club.

The appointment reflects the club’s commitment to building sustained success domestically while continuing to compete on the European stage and I have no doubt the fans will get behind him”.