Sligo Rovers are immensely thrilled to confirm that Men’s First Team Manager John Russell has this week, agreed an extension to his current contract, signing a multi-year deal with the club.
Russell, who has been associated with the Bit O’Red for the best part of fifteen years now, led Rovers to a seventh placed finish last term after a superb second half of the season. His achievements were noted by his peers as Russell finished 2025 with a PFAI Manager of the Year nomination.
The club are delighted to have secured the continuation of the services of one of the league’s outstanding young managerial talents.
Russell initially joined Rovers in 2010 from his local side Galway United as a dynamic attacking midfielder under then manager Paul Cook. He went on to win two FAI Cups, one EA Sports Cup and a Setanta Sports Cup with the club. He also won a Premier Division title with St Patrick’s Athletic in 2013 before returning to Rovers the following season.
He played for the club until 2017 when he retired from football and moved on to manage Mayo League’s Westport United. But his time away from Sligo was relatively short lived as he was appointed assistant to Liam Buckley ahead of the 2019 season.
The 40-year-old took the helm at Rovers mid-2022 and immediately guided the club through two rounds of the Europa Conference League, knocking out Bala Town and Motherwell along the way. Recently crowned Norwegian league champions Viking FK brought an end to that glorious summer run, but Russell did mastermind a win over the Stavanger side in the home leg. He remains the only Rovers manager to guide the club through two rounds of European competition.
Battling against the odds and working with restricted budgets, Russell kept Rovers competitive through the last few years and has been responsible for overseeing the graduation of a host of stars from the Abbvie Academy. Naming but a few, Owen Elding, Conor Walsh, Conor Reynolds, Ed McGinty and Gareth McElroy have all prospered in League of Ireland football since their emergence under Russell.
Most recently, he was responsible for Rovers’ incredible turn in form at the mid-way point of the 2025 season. Occupying the league’s bottom spot for a period, Russell galvanised Rovers with several key summer signings, picking up 29 points from 19 games and finishing the season in seventh position, 17 points clear of relegated Cork City.
“Losing seven or eight starting players from our team in 2024 was always going to make the start of the new season challenging”, John tells sligorovers.com.
“It takes time for new players to settle, build up connections with each other and get used to playing in a new team or a new league. My job during those tough moments is to stay calm, be objective, help the players and find solutions.
“I believe in what we’re doing and it’s important to trust in your work and be consistent in your actions.
“I knew we had issues in the first half of the season and we needed to get to the summer window and bring in better quality to help us. A lot goes into recruitment and we needed to get it right and thankfully we did.
“The players showed resilience, grew in confidence, and started to express themselves more consistently. We saw our academy players step up, our experienced players lead by example, and the team as a whole develop a stronger identity.
“That turnaround wasn’t by chance. It came from hard work, belief, and sticking together. It gives me real optimism heading into the new campaign, because we’ve shown we can come through adversity and finish strongly. The challenge now is to carry that momentum forward and build on it.”
Talking passionately about the honour of managing the club into its 98th year, Russell says he is more keen than ever to propel the Bit O’Red to the next level. He spoke about how tough it can be to lose your best players year-on-year and replace them with suitable alternatives. But he’s proud of the way the club goes about its business, particularly the recent success of the Abbvie Academy.
“From the players and staff to the supporters, who are the lifeblood of the club, this is a place that means a great deal to me.
“I want to build on the foundations we’ve laid over the past few seasons as I believe we can achieve something special. My role is to keep pushing the players, supporting their development, and making sure they have the platform to show their quality. I’m excited to keep building with this squad and to see just how far we can go.
“When you look at the investment going into the other teams in the league over the last few seasons I think the progress of the club has been impacted. The club is doing everything they can to be supportive and give the resources to make us competitive but it’s a massive challenge to make real progress when you lose your best players at the end of each season and you have to rebuild a team.
“Despite the turnover of players, I do feel we have created a clear identity and style of play. The team plays an attractive, attacking style of football and shows no fear. I’m very clear on what I want and I put those demands on the players and staff.
“We have also shown that players improve when they come to Sligo. We like to sign the best young talent, develop them and give them that platform to excel. We’ve sold a lot of players over the past three seasons who have gone on to higher levels. I feel this will be an important part of our model going forward where we need to command better transfer fees and then reinvest that money into the team to help us compete.
“Another area of progression has been our continued promotion and development of players from the academy. I think the emergence and the performances of Owen (Elding) shows what can be achieved.
“From the start, I felt it was vital that young players had a pathway into the first team. Not only does it strengthen the identity of the club, but it also brings energy, hunger, and a fresh perspective into the dressing room.
“We’ve seen players come through who’ve embraced the challenge, grown quickly, and added real quality to the squad. That’s a credit to their attitude and to the academy staff who’ve prepared them so well.
“For me, it’s about balance, blending youth with experience, but giving young players opportunities has been central to our progress. It keeps the club moving forward, it excites the supporters, and it shows that if you’re good enough and willing to work hard, you’ll get your chance.
“There’s also been a real connection between the supporters and the team over the last two seasons. I think they can see the effort, the fight and the togetherness within the team. They see a group of players who leave everything on the pitch and who understand the responsibility of representing this club.”
Pre-season gets underway on Monday, December 15th with eighteen first team players currently signed for the new campaign. New signings such as Archie Meeksion, Carl McHugh, Jeanott Esua and Alex Nolan will begin their Rovers careers. They’ll be joined by those from last year’s squad such as Jad Hakiki, Owen Elding, Paddy McClean and Sam Sargeant as plans are put in place.
Russell explains the importance of doing business as early as possible as he looks for a quick start ahead of what will be another challenging year.
“It’s massive”, he continues.
“It’s probably the first time we’ve been in this position since I took over. We want to start the season strongly in 2026. To do that, you need the majority of your squad in place.
“The off season is key for players to work on their conditioning and areas of improvement to prepare their bodies for the season ahead. Once pre-season starts, it’s all about developing our style of play, players understanding their roles and responsibilities, building up those connections on the pitch, and building their fitness levels so that we’re ready to start the season fast.
“The ambition for 2026 is to keep driving this club forward. We want to build on the momentum from the second half of last season and be more consistent across the campaign.
“Significant investment at certain clubs as well as the introduction of multi-club ownership models have put serious pressure on our club model and our ability to compete for silverware and those coveted European places.
“We understand this. We know we’re up against it each year but we must continue to innovate, develop and improve the players, stick to our principles and keep believing in what we’re doing.
“Our club is special. Sligo Rovers is more than just a football club. It’s the heart beat of the community. In life, we all want to be part of something bigger.
“Sligo Rovers gives us that opportunity. We know we’re the underdog. We know we’re up against it but I think there is something in us that enjoys the struggle. It means that bit more when we do have success.”
Welcoming the announcement, club chairperson Tommy Higgins says Russell’s traits and his vision for the club heading towards its centenary year, matches that of those who are charged with driving Rovers forward.
“This is another statement of intent from the club”, he states.
“In having John in charge, we have who we believe is the best young manager in the league leading our first team and shaping how the club will evolve over the next few years.
“Last year was another very challenging year for the club on and off the pitch. However, we faced adversity and came out stronger at the far end and John has assembled a really competitive squad already, well ahead of the new season.
“In doing this, he has shown vision and ambition. Sligo Rovers is an ambitious football club. We have big plans off the pitch with the renovation of the Showgrounds and we would dearly love to mark the years around our one hundredth year with success on the pitch.
“We have who we believe is the most ambitious manager in the country leading our first team and that gives us the best chance.
“We’re absolutely delighted that John has agreed this new multi-year deal and we’re really looking forward to 2026 and beyond.”
David Goulden
