Former Hearts coach 'open' to Scottish football return after leaving boss role at cash-strapped club

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He is formerly of Hearts and has his eye on Scottish football after a tough spell in his latest role.

Jon Daly insists he is looking at a Scottish football comeback in the future after leaving League of Ireland side Dundalk.

The former Rangers and Dundee United striker has been in coaching since hanging up his boots. He served as a youth coach at Hearts for four years before taking interim managerial reigns at Tynecastle on two occasions, leaving in 2020 for TPS Turku.

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He has manager of Dundalk since May, coming into the club who sat bottom of the league and mired in financial difficulty. In September, he confirmed players and staff had not been paid due to the ongoing problems and relegation was shortly confirmed, finishing their campaign with 0-0 draw against Drogheda United.

Taking to social media pre-match, Daly confirmed he’d be moving on from Dundalk after the game, with a consultancy role being picked up in the short-term, but Scottish football is on his mind beyond that. He said upon reflection of his time coaching in Ireland which also included a stint as assistant boss and manager of St Patrick’s Athletic: “What a really enjoyable three years, with plenty of highs & lows.

“I’ve learned so much during my stay & will definitely leave all the better for the experience. I’m extremely grateful to Tim Clancy for the opportunity to join him as his assistant back in December 2021. I’ve met some amazing people along the journey, with so many of them doing great things to help the game grow in Ireland.

“I wouldn’t have known much about the LOI before I arrived back in 2021, but I’ll definitely be keeping up to date with things, by tuning in every Friday night in 2025. Hopefully the fans continue to come out in there numbers & create the unbelievable atmospheres I’ve witnessed for myself over the last three years.

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“It’s now time for me to prioritise my family & get myself back home to Scotland. Linda & the girls have sacrificed so much to allow me develop myself over the last four years. I'll be eternally grateful for their understanding & the constant support they've shown me. I can’t wait to get home to Linda & the girls, I'll try to make up for lost time together.

“In the short term, I will be stepping out of my comfort zone & helping Peter Halpin with his Halpin Sport Sponsorship, on a consultancy basis. This will be an incredible experience for me to learn a different side to football. Hopefully my 26 years in professional football can help open some doors. In the medium to long term, I will be open to coaching / management roles within Scotland.”

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