Glentoran Pursues Jim Magilton as New Manager After Declan Devine's Exit
Glentoran have turned their sights firmly on Cliftonville boss Jim Magilton as the man they want to replace Declan Devine at the Oval.
Devine’s two-year spell ended on Monday, cut short by a stuttering start to the season that left the club’s hierarchy with a decision they felt they could no longer delay. The response was swift. By Tuesday night, assistant managers Paddy McCourt and Tim McCann were in the dugout, but their caretaker stint began with a home defeat to Irish Premiership leaders Coleraine, underlining the scale of the rebuild required.
Amid that uncertainty, one name has surged to the top of Glentoran’s shortlist. Magilton, 57, has emerged as the frontrunner, with the Glens making a formal approach to speak with the Cliftonville manager. The timing adds an extra edge: the two clubs are due to meet at Solitude on Saturday in a league fixture that already carried weight, but now comes loaded with subplots.
Jim Magilton's Tenure at Cliftonville
Magilton took charge at Cliftonville in 2023, stepping in after Paddy McLaughlin, and wasted little time stamping his authority on the club. He guided the Reds to Irish Cup glory the following year, ending a 45-year wait for the trophy and restoring a sense of occasion to the north Belfast side.
His impact did not stop there. Drawing on experience from spells with Ipswich Town, the Irish FA, Dundalk and Melbourne Victory, Magilton built a side capable of handling big moments. Cliftonville lifted the 2025 BetMcLean Cup under his watch, beating Glentoran in the final to add another line to his CV and another layer of intrigue to the current pursuit.
That success came with its own sting. Two months later, Cliftonville fell short in the Irish Cup final against Dungannon Swifts, a reminder of how fine the margins remain at the top of the domestic game.
Now Glentoran, beaten by Magilton’s Reds in one showpiece and chasing them off the pitch in another arena, are pushing to make him their next manager. With talks requested and a league meeting looming, the next move in this story may well play out in full view on Saturday at Solitude.
