| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Simon Piers Ireland | ||
| Date of birth | 23 November 1971 | ||
| Place of birth | Barnstaple, England | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Huddersfield Town (set-piece coach) | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1990–1993 | Huddersfield Town | 19 | (0) |
| 1991 | → Wrexham (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 1993 | Blackburn Rovers | 1 | (0) |
| 1993–1997 | Mansfield Town | 85 | (10) |
| 1997–1998 | Doncaster Rovers | 61 | (2) |
| Boreham Wood | |||
| Managerial career | |||
| 2019 | Nottingham Forest (caretaker) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Simon Piers Ireland (born 23 November 1971, in Barnstaple) is a former professional footballer and coach. He played as a midfielder for Huddersfield Town, Wrexham, Blackburn Rovers, Mansfield Town, Doncaster Rovers and Boreham Wood.
In January 2008, Ireland was appointed as assistant director, with responsibility for the U9-U12 age groups at Blackburn Rovers.[1] From 2010 to 2013, he worked as the U18 assistant academy manager.[2] In August 2013, he then became the U21 manager of Brighton & Hove Albion.[2] After 18 months, Ireland left to join Queens Park Rangers as the academy's new head of coaching and coach education on 14 February 2015.[3] After almost three years, he left on 18 January and a few days later, he joined the staff of Aitor Karanka at Nottingham Forest as a first team coach.[4] Ireland faced his first game as manager the following day against Reading which he lost 0–2.[5] On 15 January 2019, Martin O'Neill was appointed as the new manager and Ireland therefore continued as a member of the staff.[6]
On 6 August 2021, Ireland joined Darren Moore as a first-team coach at Sheffield Wednesday.[7] He left Sheffield Wednesday on 19 June 2023, with manager Darren Moore and the rest of his backroom staff.[8]
On 21 September 2023, he re-united with Moore once again as part of the new coaching staff at Championship side Huddersfield Town, re-joining the Terriers after a thirty-year absence, having previously spent three years at the club as a player in the early 1990s.[9]
