Shamrock Rovers F.C. is delighted to confirm the appointment of James O’Callaghan as Women’s First Team Head Coach.
James will lead the team into the 2026 season and starts his preparations from today.
James, welcome to Shamrock Rovers, you must be looking forward to getting started?
“I’m delighted to be here at Rovers. I’ve had a year out of management so I’m itching to get back in. I’ve always been a fan of the club. I used to sell programmes in Glenmalure Park. I go up to watch the men’s games as I live in Tallaght. So it is really exciting now to be managing at Shamrock Rovers.
It was nice to see the opening dates for the League of Ireland fixtures in March confirmed this week. This is a busy period between now and then because player retention and player recruitment is really, really important.”
What type of squad are you looking to develop here at Rovers?
“I think over the last four or five years what has been developed here really well has been the schoolgirl academy. There’s lots of really exciting young players coming through. If you look at the Ireland under 17s and 19s international teams, they are stacked with young players from Rovers. I’m really excited to get working with them and see where they’re at in their development.
With the current squad, it’s vital to get that mix of senior players and young players. I think good quality experienced players, mixed in with the good young players coming through is really important. The managerial success I’ve had in the past has come from always having that healthy mix - they complement each other. If you can find that balance, it’s really sweet to see in action.”
What will be your approach to the team’s play on the pitch?
“You want to have a team on the front foot and really good in the attacking thirds. Out of possession, you want to be very compact and aggressive. I want them to have a strong mentality and looking to score goals. If you can get all those ingredients, it’s a winning formula. It is about getting a togetherness in the team. For me, that’s paramount.
My style of management is very relationship based. It is about getting to know the players and creating that environment where they are bouncing into training. You want them to come alive when they pull on the jersey and they really want to give it their best for the team. “
You had great success at Peamount United. What will your approach be to bringing that experience to the Hoops?
“It was a great experience being involved with Peamount United over those years. We had a lot of success and we also had a lot of learning curves along the way. What’s really important in trying to replicate that again here now at Shamrock Rovers is to try to get a winning culture. That culture is defined by the players’ values, they create that identity in the team. “
Further appointments relating to backroom staff will be announced in due course
