Magilton excited by 'next chapter in football journey'

2 years ago 74

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Jim Magilton's career in football has been a long and varied one up to this point but his appointment as manager of Irish Premiership club Cliftonville represents a new challenge for the former Northern Ireland international.

The 54-year-old, who won 52 caps, was named as the new boss of the north Belfast club in June, succeeding Paddy McLaughlin, who left to join Derry City as assistant manager three months previously.

His new role is the latest instalment in a footballing journey that began as a player with a spell at Liverpool as a teenage apprentice, then on to Oxford United, Southampton, Sheffield Wednesday and Ipswich Town.

He went on to manage Ipswich Town, Queen's Park Rangers, Australian side Melbourne Victory and Northern Ireland Under-21s, was assistant to Michael O'Neill at Shamrock Rovers and was elite performance director with the Irish Football Association for seven years between 2013 and 2020.

Most recently, in 2021, he was sporting director at Dundalk, including a period as interim manager, and has also been a regular football pundit on television.

"I've always enjoyed it, every aspect of the football journey and this is just the next chapter in my life," reflected Magilton at the media launch of the 2023-24 Premiership season.

"You look at every period of your life, leaving at 16, having a career in England and travelling around. I have met some fantastic people.

"When I first went into management, being the player was still in my veins and that was a difficult transition, there's no question about that.

"I've gained a wealth of experience, a wealth of knowledge and I'm calmer and more relaxed in that situation."

Magilton says the latest turn of events in his career did "not really come as a shock" and that his short tenure in charge of team affairs at Dundalk had reawakened his appetite for management.

"As I've learned throughout my career phone calls change lives and that phone call is the next stage in my journey.

"The time at Dundalk actually helped as when I was thrown into that interim manager role it whetted the juices again.

"It triggered something and when the opportunity came along I grabbed it.

"As Cliftonville manager I'm extremely proud to be working with this group of players and look forward to the challenge."

The ex-midfielder, renowned for his range of passing during a distinguished playing career, becomes the Solitude club's first full-time manager, but has found recruitment challenging amid a competitive market.

"It's extremely tough. As a manager you want to get your business done early so you can integrate players in the squad, start working with them. You have your principles of play, you want to build a character in your team and that can be difficult.

"It has to be the right calibre of player and Ben Wilson [a striker acquired from Brighton's Academy] and goalkeeper David Odumosu [on loan from St Patrick's Athletic] are two signings that fit the profile.

"They're hungry, they want to succeed, they want to be successful and they've added real quality to our group.

"I want to grow a group of players that entertain. We want to win games of football but we also want to entertain fans."

'Gloves off, then handshakes'

In taking up his position at Solitude, Magilton will find himself locking horns with a number of Irish League managers who were becoming part of the Northern Ireland playing squad just as he was about to leave it.

Linfield manager David Healy, new Glentoran boss Warren Feeney and Glenavon's Gary Hamilton were all part of the senior international group.

"They've done a fantastic job. I've been a big admirer of everything they've done and I'm looking forward to pitting my wits against them on the touchline.

"I'm going to enjoy it, I want to remain friends with them and I'm sure I will. For 90 minutes it's gloves off and then it's handshakes after and I hope that remains the same."

Cliftonville finished fourth in the league last season and missed out on European football after losing to Glentoran in the play-off final.

Magilton is keen to build on the progress made by former boss McLaughlin which saw the Reds contend in the upper echelons of the Premiership table but must wait a week longer than originally anticipated to begin his side's competitive season because of Linfield's involvement in continental competition.

"The aim is to be ultra competitive, to build on the successes that Paddy has created at the football club and to make sure we are in and around European places, also to make sure we can nurture homegrown talent too.

"I look forward to the Glenavon game [which now begins their season on 12 August]. There'll be added pressure because it's our first game and it's a home game, but we'll be well prepared for that."

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