Duncan Ferguson signs multi-year deal to manage Northern Irish club Glentoran

Duncan Ferguson has been named manager of Glentoran FC, the east Belfast club announced, with the former Everton and Scotland striker signing a multi-year contract at The Oval in what represents a significant coup for the Irish Premiership.

The 54-year-old arrives at a club with a storied history but a lean recent record — Glentoran have not lifted the league title since 2009 and have won just one County Antrim Shield since 2020. Ferguson immediately becomes the most recognisable figure in the league.

Ferguson scored 68 goals in 269 Premier League appearances, earning a reputation as an uncompromising centre-forward and holding a joint-record eight Premier League red cards. After retiring, he spent a decade in Everton’s coaching structure, serving as assistant to Carlo Ancelotti and Rafael Benítez at Goodison Park and taking caretaker charge of the Toffees on two occasions.

His managerial career has been turbulent. He took charge of Forest Green Rovers in January 2023 before moving to Scottish side Inverness Caledonian Thistle that September. Neither stint brought success, and Inverness’s entry into administration in October 2024 forced his exit. He has since worked as a pundit for ITV and was briefly linked with the Scotland job following Steve Clarke’s departure after the 2026 World Cup.

Gary Bollan, a former Dundee United teammate of Ferguson and his assistant at Inverness, will again serve as his No 2 in Belfast.

Ferguson has been candid about his expectations. “This is a big club with a tremendous history, and it is a great opportunity for me,” he said. “I want to win trophies here. Glentoran should be challenging for the title and every cup and shield we enter. I know that success here will be judged on what we win.”

He added that conversations with owner Ali Pour and sporting director Paul Millar had convinced him the club’s ambitions matched his own. “The more I spoke with them, the more I wanted the job,” he said. “I am looking forward to getting onto the training pitch, working with the players and seeing what we can achieve together.”