Former Hearts coach turns 'strong contender' for return to management as possible boss option emerges
The former Hearts coach featured for the likes of Dundee United and Rangers as a player.
A former Hearts coach is reportedly a contender to become boss at a League of Ireland club.
There’s been plenty of moving and shaking on the managerial front in the last month, with Rangers and Celtic both changing managers already this term in the Premiership. That merry-go-round is in full swing in the EFL and with the League of Ireland season now over, there is movement beginning to shift in that realm too.
Jon Daly was most recently assistant manager at Galway United. He featured for the likes of Dundee United and Rangers as a player before turning focus to coaching, serving as as a youth coach at Hearts for four years. He had interim manager responsibility at Tynecastle on two occasions, leaving in 2020 for TPS Turku.
What club could former Hearts coach manage?
Daly then took charge in the Republic of Ireland with St Patrick’s Athletic and Dundalk, who he left last year, amid financial difficulties. Galway United then hired the former Hearts and Rangers man as an assistant boss and now The Irish Independent claim the ex-Jambos coach ‘has emerged as a strong contender to become the new manager of Waterford.’ It’s believed he has held talks with the Blues about the vacancy after their ninth-place finish in the Irish top tier.
After his managerial stint at Dundalk ended last year, Daly moved into consultancy work, and suggested he would be open to a return to Scottish football. He said at the time: “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. It’s now time for me to prioritise my family & get myself back home to Scotland.
Why Jon Daly initially left the League of Ireland
“Linda and 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.