Jon Daly has been appointed the new manager of Waterford FC.
The 42-year-old makes the move to the RSC after a number of roles within the league, having spent time overseeing Dundalk, St. Patrick’s Athletic - a spell where he won the FAI Cup in 2023 - and most recently with Galway United as an assistant coach.
The Dubliner had an 18-year professional career in England and Scotland before moving into management.
He was assistant manager with TPS Turku in Finland for a 12-month period before returning back to Ireland in 2022 when he joined up with St Pat's as assistant coach to Tim Clancy.
Daly took over after Clancy's departure and went on to win the FAI Cup final that November.
He lost his job in May of the following season and quickly took over Dundalk, failing to keep the Lilywhites in the top flight.
Daly was back in Ireland since August after stepping in for a short-term position with Galway United, assisting John Caulfield.
Daly spoke of his excitement to work at the RSC, saying: "It’s an honour to take charge of Waterford FC. Waterford is a club with huge potential, and my job is simple — unlock it. I believe that’s done by setting high standards every single day.
"The people of Waterford expect fight, pride, and passion. If we can match the energy in the stands and transfer it onto the pitch, this club can go places it hasn’t been in a long time.
"There’s a big challenge ahead to build a team that works for each other, plays with intensity and never hides. The challenge really excites me and I’m looking forward to getting immersed in the Waterford community and meeting all the players, staff and supporters."
The Blues had plenty of upheaval over this season, replacing Keith Long with John Coleman and requiring Matt Lawlor to step in as interim boss twice.
Lawlor helped the Blues win a relegation play-off over Bray Wanderers to stay in the top flight.
Waterford chairman Jamie Pilley said the former Rangers player stood out in their search for a new boss: "I’m delighted to welcome Jon to Waterford FC after a thorough and detailed managerial search over the last few weeks.
"During the process we spoke to a number of people regarding the role, as we move into a fresh start for the club, and Jon was a stand-out candidate.
"Jon is a vastly experienced person who knows the League of Ireland and what it takes to be successful in it - this was a huge part of the attraction for us and something we were determined to have with this appointment.
"He now has the off season to recruit and prepare for what we hope will be an exciting season at the RSC."
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