Dean Shiels relishing the opportunity to continue his journey with Coleraine

Coleraine Football Club has always held a special place in Dean Shiels' heart. As a young boy he could be seen kicking a ball about the Showgrounds pitch as his father Kenny led the first team as manager.

Dean spent a brief spell playing for the Bannsiders before he made his own steps into the world of management at Dungannon Swifts. That whetted his appetite for coaching in the game but having played the vast majority of career in a full-time environment Shiels hankered to get back there.

The 39-year-old had explored several avenues across the water before Coleraine came calling once again as his brother-in-law Oran Kearney brought him on to his coaching staff before the end of last season. Now Shiels is set to lead the club into an exciting and ambitious new set-up as Head Coach and he is determined to bring success to the town he calls home.

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"At the turn of the year, with my ties in Scotland, I was looking to get back into full-time football in England or Scotland," he explained. "I had been over for interviews and had been contacted by a couple of teams.

"I was quite far down the line with those situations to be honest, but coincidentally it tied in with the announcement of Coleraine going full-time after the new owners had taken over.

"Obviously I'm quite settled in the town with my family and it would have been a big upheaval to move. The thought of coming in to work in a full-time environment in Coleraine was very appealing to me.

"I look at this opportunity with positivity, I'm excited. Everyone knows the ties I have to the club and I'm delighted with the challenge that's been set and the challenge of trying to transform the club and move forward on this new journey."

The Bannsiders are pushing ahead with an exciting new era as Kearney moves to a Sporting Director role at The Showgrounds. Recruitment is obviously going to be important for the club moving forward, and while there are doubts over Josh Carson's future, the club has been boosted by the news striker Matthew Shevlin has signed a new three-year deal.

Shiels says he is determined to make the most of his time with the players in a full-time environment, building on the good work which has gone on before him. "We want to give the players no excuses come Saturday," he said.

"We want them to be fully prepared, physically, mentally and tactically, and they know their jobs. We want to tick all the boxes during the week. We have the facilities to do that, the pitch is superb.

"Oran and the club have done so much work to take it to where it is now so it is ready to go full-time. Now it's up to us to get it right during the week and on a Saturday."

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