Sligo Rovers are thrilled to confirm that First Team Manager John Russell has signed a two year extension to his current contract.
The Rovers boss has put pen to paper on a deal which extends his contract to the end of the 2026 League of Ireland season.
Russell, who won two FAI Cups with the club as a player, took over in summer 2022 having served as assistant to former manager Liam Buckley for three and a half seasons.
Shortly after being appointed, Russell guided the club past both Welsh outfit Bala Town and Scottish Premiership side Motherwell in the Europa Conference League. This feat meant that the Galway native is the only manager to steer Rovers through two rounds of European competition in the storied 96-year history of the club.
2023 was a mixed year for the club on the pitch, but despite operating off one of the Premier Division’s tightest budgets and losing star players through long-term injury and transfers across 2024, Russell’s men currently sit just seven points off the league’s top spot with four games remaining.
Qualification for Europe is still a possibility as things stand, while the fact that the club are mathematically still in the hunt for the league title, speaks volumes regarding Russell’s achievement this year.
Speaking having signed the deal, Russell says he is eager to progress the club further and build on the work he and his staff have done to date. The Rovers boss also repeated his previous statement in regards to the fan-owned model the club proudly operates under. Russell is keen to keep discovering opportunities and different ways to further develop Sligo Rovers in relation to the more traditional model.
“I’m absolutely delighted to extend my contract at the club. We have made really good progress this season”, he says.
“I feel myself and the staff have created a really good environment for our players to develop, improve and play with confidence. We want to win, but we want to win by playing an attractive, attacking brand of football, while continuing to promote from within our academy.
“I understand our club model but that does not mean we cannot be competitive. We need to continue to be innovative in how we operate.
“I’m excited for the challenge ahead and I am determined to bring success to this football club.”
Sligo Rovers chairperson Tommy Higgins welcomed the news, saying: “We’re over the moon to have secured terms with someone who knows this club inside out. John has proven himself as one of the top young managers in the country is someone we feel can really take this club forward. He has produced some really striking results on the pitch and has made the squad really competitive in what is the tightest season of League of Ireland football in recent memory.
“We are looking forward to seeing how far John can take us.”
David Goulden