Glentoran Pursues Jim Magilton After Devine Exit
Glentoran have set their sights on Cliftonville manager Jim Magilton as the man to steady the ship after Declan Devine’s departure from the Oval.
Devine left on Monday, his two-year spell cut short by a poor start to the season that drained momentum and patience in east Belfast. By Tuesday night, the club already felt in transition, with assistant managers Paddy McCourt and Tim McCann taking temporary charge for the home defeat by Irish Premiership leaders Coleraine.
The result underlined the urgency. Glentoran need direction. They believe Magilton can provide it.
Glens move for proven winner
Magilton has quickly emerged as the frontrunner, with Glentoran making a formal approach to speak with the Cliftonville boss. It is a bold move, not least because the two clubs are due to meet at Solitude on Saturday in an Irish Premiership fixture that now carries an extra layer of intrigue.
The 57-year-old former Northern Ireland international has rebuilt his reputation in north Belfast. Appointed Cliftonville manager in 2023, succeeding Paddy McLaughlin, he wasted little time in delivering silverware and reshaping the club’s modern history.
In 2024, he guided the Reds to Irish Cup glory, ending a 45-year wait for the trophy. That alone would have secured his place in Cliftonville folklore. Instead, he added more.
Magilton then led Cliftonville to the 2025 BetMcLean Cup, beating Glentoran in the final, a result that will not have been forgotten at the Oval. For some in east Belfast, that day may now read less as a painful memory and more as a persuasive audition.
Two months later, his side reached another Irish Cup final, losing to Dungannon Swifts in the decider, but the pattern was clear: Cliftonville were back as a force in domestic cup competitions under his watch.
A career built on big stages
Magilton’s appeal stretches beyond local success. His coaching and managerial journey has taken him through Ipswich Town, the Irish FA, Dundalk and Melbourne Victory, a varied CV that brings with it experience of different dressing rooms, cultures and expectations.
Glentoran, a club that sees itself as a natural contender for trophies, are now looking at a manager who has recently turned near-misses and long waits into tangible success.
Saturday’s meeting at Solitude was already a key fixture in the calendar. With Glentoran’s approach on the table and Magilton at the centre of it, it now feels like something more: a potential glimpse of a future partnership, played out against the club he has just led back to the big time.
