Eileen Gleeson

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Eileen Gleeson
Personal information
Place of birth Dublin, Ireland
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Blacklions
Ballymun United
Hammond Celtic
Teams managed
Ballymun United
St James's Gate
2006–2014 Peamount United
2014–2017 UCD Waves
2019– 2021 Ireland (assistant)
2021– Glasgow City FC (Head Coach)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Eileen Gleeson is an Irish football coach and former player, who is currently head coach of Scottish Women's Premier League club Glasgow City. She is a UEFA Pro Licence holder from Dublin, Ireland. She is set to complete a PHD based on decision making in elite football, and has been an influential figure in Irish football for more than a decade. She moved to Ireland's national side in 2019 after enjoying success at Peamount United and UCD Waves in the Women's National League (Ireland). She has played a significant role in raising the profile and standards for Irish Womens soccer.

In November 2021, she was appointed as the head coach of Glasgow City F.C. In a bittersweet moment, she gave up her role as the assistant manager for Republic of Ireland women's national football team, having been appointed in September 2019 by Vera Pauw. She has won six trophies in an eight-year spell at Peamount, including a domestic treble in 2010, while at UCD Gleeson earned runners-up spots in the 2014-15 league campaign and FAI Women's Cup.

Gleeson became the first coach to manage an Irish side to the Women's Champions League knockout stages in 2011-12, where her talented Peamount side were eventually eliminated by Paris Saint Germain in the last 32.

Playing career[]

As a player Gleeson played in the Civil Service League with Blacklions and in the Dublin Women's Soccer League with Ballymun United and Hammond Celtic.[1] She characterised herself as a hard-working but limited player: "I wouldn’t be highlighting anything about my playing days."[2]

Manager[]

Early coaching career[]

Gleeson began her coaching career with Ballymun United in the Dublin Women's Soccer League and also had a spell with St James's Gate.[3]

Peamount United[]

Gleeson served as manager of Peamount United between 2006 and 2014. Under Gleeson, United became the one of the most successful women's football teams in the Republic of Ireland. With a squad that included Nicola Sinnott, Aine O'Gorman, Sara Lawlor, Katie Taylor and Louise Quinn, Gleeson guided Peamount United to a treble in 2010, winning the Dublin Women's Soccer League title, the DWSL Premier Cup and the FAI Women's Cup.[4][5] Under Gleeson, Peamount also won the inaugural 2011–12 Women's National League title and the WNL Cup in both 2012 and 2013. Gleeson also managed Peamount during their 2011–12 and 2012–13 UEFA Women's Champions League campaigns.[6] In 2013–14 when Stephanie Roche scored her FIFA Puskás Award-nominated goal for Peamount against Wexford Youths, it was Gleeson who uploaded footage of the goal on the internet. It later went viral on YouTube.[7][8]

UCD Waves[]

The 2014–15 Women's National League season saw Gleeson become manager of UCD Waves. A number of Peamount United players including Julie-Ann Russell, Aine O'Gorman, Karen Duggan, Dora Gorman, Chloe Mustaki and Emily Cahill all subsequently followed Gleeson to UCD Waves.[9] She quit UCD in January 2017, to focus on a PhD. She was despondent at a lack of promotion and ongoing poor standards in the Women's National League.[2] She had obtained a UEFA Pro Licence in 2015.[10]

Ireland[]

In September 2019, Vera Pauw, the incoming manager of the Republic of Ireland women's national football team, appointed Gleeson as her assistant.[11]

Glasgow City[]

SWPL champions announce Ireland assistant Eileen Gleeson as new boss |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/58923515

Honours[]

Peamount United[]

UCD Waves[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Coaches Feature". www.fai.ie. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
  2. ^ a b Fennessy, Paul (6 May 2019). "'I don't blame players, leaving the game or going to play GAA'". The42.ie. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  3. ^ "Cork Women's FC v Peamount United". extratime.ie. 8 February 2014. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
  4. ^ Feery, Niall (26 July 2010). "Aine's the ace for super Peamount". The Herald (Ireland). Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  5. ^ "Peamount Prepare for Champions Challenge". shekicks.net. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
  6. ^ "Gleeson and Peamount United part company". www.extratime.ie. 3 March 2016. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
  7. ^ "Today on YouTube: Stephanie Roche scores goal of the season contender for Peamount United". The Daily Telegraph. 21 October 2013. Archived from the original on 21 October 2013. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
  8. ^ Kelly, Rory (21 October 2013). "Stephanie Roche Goal – The World Reacts – Passes 1 million views". ExtraTime.ie. Archived from the original on 24 October 2013. Retrieved 22 October 2013.
  9. ^ "Waves break new ground". www.gazettegroup.com. 21 August 2014. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  10. ^ "Two League of Ireland managers along with former Internationals named on FAI Pro Licence course". League of Ireland. 20 January 2019. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  11. ^ "Ireland manager Vera Pauw appoints Eileen Gleeson as assistant". Football Association of Ireland. 14 September 2019. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
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