Former Town boss and skipper Jim Magilton has left his role as elite performance director with the Irish Football Association to become the sporting director at League of Ireland side Dundalk.
Magilton, 51, who had been in his position with the IFA since 2013, is sad to be departing.
"Today ends an incredible journey for me both personally and professionally,” he told the IFA’s website. "I would like to thank the Irish FA, and in particular [former manager] Michael O’Neill, for giving me the opportunity to be a part of it.
"I would like to thank all of my staff, past and present, in both the Club NI and academy programme and the coach education team who have shown me tremendous loyalty and support over these past seven plus years, and for their enormous contribution to the association and development of our young players.
"I have been involved in and enjoyed the most incredible time in the history of the association and I would like to wish [current manager] Ian Baraclough and the senior squad continued success in the coming years.
"I know that the creation of the academy will help to generate many more great footballing memories for Northern Ireland.
"We have seen the first green shoots of that work, with the inclusion of Ethan Galbraith in the senior international squad, and I know there will be more. Thank you and good luck.”
Irish FA chief executive Patrick Nelson added: "Jim goes with our best wishes after seven and a half years with the association.
"During that time he has helped us take major steps in both identifying and preparing our young talent for a future in the professional game.
"He masterminded the successful JD Club NI elite player development programme and more recently the opening and operation of the Irish FA JD Academy in collaboration with UEFA at Ulster University’s Jordanstown campus.”
Belfast-born Magilton, who was capped 52 times by Northern Ireland, will take up what is a newly-created position at Oriel Park on Monday 14th December, Dundalk having finished third in the League of Ireland Premier Division in 2020 after being champions for the previous two seasons.
The Northern Irishman was a player with the Blues between 1999 and 2006 - during which time he was a member of the team which won promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs and finished fifth the following season - and manager from 2006 to 2009.
Magilton, who has also managed QPR and the Melbourne Victory and previously worked in the League of Ireland as assistant boss at Shamrock Rovers, spoke with TWTD about his time with the Blues early in the summer in very lengthy interview split into four parts over 18 pages: Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four.