RUGBY Borough have announced that Liam O’Neill will become the club’s new Director of Senior Football at Kilsby Lane next season.
O’Neill will take up his appointment on June 1, 2022 with Borough’s new Academy of Football manager to oversee all things in the senior section from the first team down to full time academy scholars.
The vastly experienced former Blackburn Rovers and Cheltenham Town youngster has more than 32 years experience in both the professional and semi-professional game as a player, coach and manager.
Upon finishing a successful playing career in 2007 he became manager at Bedworth United and has since been assistant manager and head coach in the National League at Leamington, Corby Town and Nuneaton Borough respectively.
O’Neill said: “It’s an ever evolving and very exciting time in terms of the senior section here at Kilsby Lane.
“The first team under Dan Carter’s guidance have excelled and aspire to gain promotion to step six next season. It’s looking promising at this moment so fingers crossed they can achieve it.
“My role is solely to provide support and guidance for our senior section teams. Whether that’s in terms of coaching, player recruitment or advice, my job will be for guidance more than anything.
“Obviously with my day to day role as academy manager here, it’s imperative that we can provide an unbroken player development route from our highly successful junior section, right through to our full time football education scholarship programme, allowing a choreographed transition into the senior section.
“Ideally all clubs would love to be able to field a first team full of local homegrown players, so this development gives us the best opportunity if we are to move the club forward into the higher echelons of the non-league pyramid, which has to be our key objective.
“I know from my experiences as a manager it’s often a thankless task, and sometimes can be a lonely place especially if results don’t always go your way, so I’ll be doing all I can to give Dan and his staff all the support they need for us to make good steady progress moving forward.”
Club Spokesman Brian Crinigan said: “We at Rugby Borough have always progressed the development of the player at the heart of what we do.
“That means bringing in the best coaches to get the best out of our players and for them to be the best they can be.
“The appointment of Liam was an opportunity not to be missed and we have acted quickly to secure his services.
“With a progressive senior section now being established at the club and with more adult teams joining next season as well as the Under 21s we all feel that the club can move forward in all directions.
“We look forward to working with Liam and his team over the coming years.”
