Roy Carroll’s appointment as goalkeeping coach for the Northern Ireland senior team has been hailed by his former manager and international team-mate David Healy.
hen ex-Manchester United and West Ham star Carroll left English football behind in 2016, Healy signed him for Linfield and it proved a masterstroke as the Fermanagh man inspired those around him helping the Blues to great success.
Having left Windsor Park in 2019, Carroll returned to Irish League football last season with Dungannon Swifts at the age of 43 but is now focusing on his coaching career.
Capped 45 times at international level, Carroll had been goalkeeping coach for the Northern Ireland Under-17 and Under-19 squads.
He was handed a promotion by boss Ian Baraclough when Steve Harper left the senior set-up to take over as Newcastle United’s Academy manager.
Northern Ireland record goalscorer Healy was pleased to hear the news and feels that Carroll, who was with Baraclough’s team for a triple header in March, has all the qualities to be a success in his new role.
“I’ve known Roy since he was a teenager and enjoyed numerous international trips with him. He’s a brilliant man and I’m delighted that he is the senior international goalkeeping coach,” said Healy.
“I know Steve Harper was in before but the good thing about bringing Roy in is that he has already been engaged with the squad going with the team on away trips and is already accustomed to travelling with the current set up and understands what is needed.
“There is the potential of two, three, four young goalkeepers coming through for Northern Ireland and they will get the benefit of Roy’s experience. He will be very good with the coaching and he will give them sound words of advice.
“I know he has been doing work with the younger players at international level and when I speak to anyone about him it is only good things that I hear.
“He was back playing last season at 43 which was madness,” Healy added with a smile.
“I think he has now realised this is the right time to step away and create something in coaching. He has done that with his soccer school and the other coaching work he has been doing in the Northern Ireland youth set-ups. I wish him well.”
As a player Carroll is the only man in history to have won the English Premier League (with Manchester United), the Irish Premiership (with Linfield) and the Greek Super League (with Olympiakos). He also played for Hull, Wigan, West Ham, Derby, Odense, OFI Crete, Notts County and had a short spell with Rangers. More recently he featured for junior club FC Mindwell before signing for Dungannon and has been running his own highly respected goalkeeping academy across Northern Ireland.