Search icon

GAA

23rd Dec 2025

Former Ireland and Premier League takes top job with Derry GAA side

SportsJOE

An interesting move.

A former Premier League player and Ireland international has been made manager of the football team side at Derry club Banagher GAA.

Eunan O’Kane won seven caps for Ireland during the mid 2010s, and played in the Premier League with Bournemouth.

The 35-year-old has already been part of the coaching staff with the club and has also worked with the Moneyglass ladies’ team.

He played underage for Northern Ireland but switched allegiances to the Republic at U21s.

Speaking with the Irish Independent on his decision back in 2014, he said: “Declaring for the Republic wasn’t a decision I took lightly. I thought long and hard about it. Now if I can do well, and get into the Republic’s senior squad, other people will see that it was the right career move for me.

“There will always be people who will say I made the wrong move in playing for the Republic. That if I’d stayed with the North, I would be in their senior team now. But I feel I have made the right decision and I wouldn’t change it for anything.”