Duncan Ferguson appointed Glentoran manager on multi-year deal

Glentoran have appointed Duncan Ferguson as their new manager on a multi-year contract, BBC Sport reported. The former Everton and Rangers striker succeeds Declan Devine at the east Belfast club, with former Dundee United team-mate Gary Bollan joining as assistant manager. Ferguson's first match in charge will be at home to Ballymena United on Saturday, with kick-off scheduled for 15:00 BST.

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The 54-year-old takes over a side sitting fourth in the Irish Premiership after winning five and losing four of their opening 11 league games. Glentoran have not won the league since 2009, despite investment from owner Ali Pour and a move to a full-time professional structure in recent years. Ferguson said he wanted the club to compete for the league and every cup competition it enters, acknowledging that trophies would determine how his work was judged.

Ferguson said discussions with Pour and sporting director Paul Millar had strengthened his desire to take the job because their ambitions matched his own. He described the appointment as a long-term commitment and said he wanted to become involved in both the club and its wider community. He also stressed that the players and staff would need to earn supporters' backing through their performances and results.

Pour said the appointment followed a recruitment process involving interviews with candidates from the United Kingdom, Ireland and Scandinavia. He and Millar met Ferguson several times in Liverpool to discuss his approach and the demands of the role. According to the owner's comments reported by the BBC, Ferguson impressed them with his coaching, leadership, player-development and recruitment credentials, as well as his experience and contacts in football.

Ferguson's coaching background includes working as an Everton assistant under Carlo Ancelotti and Rafael Benitez, alongside two periods as caretaker manager. He subsequently managed Forest Green Rovers and Inverness Caledonian Thistle, where he worked with Bollan. As a player, Ferguson represented Dundee United, Rangers, Everton and Newcastle United and made seven appearances for Scotland.

Devine departed by mutual consent in September after two-and-a-half years in charge. He led Glentoran to the County Antrim Shield in the 2024-25 season, the club's first trophy since the 2020 Irish Cup. Ferguson now inherits the task of building on those cup successes while trying to end a league-title drought that has lasted 17 years.