Northern Ireland coach and former Irish League striker Diarmuid O’Carroll has departed his role as Newcastle United U21s boss to join the senior staff of Czech Republic giants Sparta Prague.
O’Carroll, who has served on Michael O’Neill’s backroom staff since March 2023, left Scottish Premiership outfit St Mirren, where he was assistant to Northern Ireland-born Stephen Robinson, for Newcastle last year.
The 38-year-old secured a ninth-placed finish in Premier League 2 in his first season and will now return to senior club football as a first team coach under Brian Priske, who was confirmed as new Sparta boss earlier this month.
O’Carroll spent time during his playing career in the Irish League, joining Glenavon in 2011 before enjoying spells with Cliftonville, Crusaders and Dungannon Swifts before moving into coaching.
Diarmuid O’Carroll (right) has joined the coaching staff of Sparta Prague. (Photo by Jonathan Porter/PressEye)placeholder image
Diarmuid O’Carroll (right) has joined the coaching staff of Sparta Prague. (Photo by Jonathan Porter/PressEye)
He was in charge of Crusaders Strikers and Glentoran Women before becoming a youth coach at Motherwell and moved on to Morecambe and St Mirren alongside Robinson.
“I’d like to thank Diarmuid for his time with us leading the under-21 group,” said Newcastle United Academy Director, Steve Harper. “The opportunity to work in Europe is an exciting one for him and we wish him the best of luck as his coaching career continues.
“He is the third professional development phase coach to be headhunted from our Academy for a first team senior football role in the last 12 months, which demonstrates that our Academy development pathway works not just for players but for staff too.
“The process of recruiting a new Under-21s lead coach is underway.”
O’Carroll is already in the Czech Republic and took his first session alongside Priske on Monday.
Sparta Prague have won 38 top-flight titles, including eight this century, and were crowned champions in consecutive seasons across 2022/23 and 2023/24 before being dethroned by Slavia Prague last term.
After finishing fourth, Sparta will enter the Conference League at the second qualifying round stage this summer.
Upon confirming his appointment to Northern Ireland’s backroom team, O’Neill said in 2023: “I have watched Diarmuid in action on the training ground and he is a vibrant young coach. I believe he will be a great asset to us.
“I am aware of the matter regarding Diarmuid’s application to the Under-17/U19 role back in 2021. He and I have spoken about this and Diarmuid recognises the difficult situation which the association was put in at that time.”
O’Carroll had been appointed Northern Ireland’s U17 and U19 coach in February 2021 before withdrawing one day later due to an "administrative error" in his application process that was brought to his attention by the Irish FA.