David Breen appointed new Waterford FC Under 20 manager
New Waterford FC Men's Under 20 coach David Breen. Photo: Waterford FC/Lloyd Wadding
Waterford FC have confirmed that David Breen will lead their Men’s Under 20 Academy side for the 2025 season, along with maintaining his current first-team coaching role, with his backroom team set to include former player Eddie Nolan.
Breen, who lined out for the Blues across various stints during his player career, made the move to coaching in 2013 where he was named our assistant manager, before spending some time with our Academy in 2017.
David returned to the first-team in 2022 as part of Ian Morris’ backroom staff, before leading the side as interim head coach alongside Gary Hunt for 6 games later that season where they maintained a 100% winning record in that spell.
Breen has worked closely with now head-coach Keith Long closely over the past two-seasons, as he now takes up the role as U20 Head Coach, which will play an important role in the link between our academy & first-team going forward.
The former Blues player took charge of our side that defeated Bandon AFC at the RSC on Friday night in their Munster Senior Cup 3rd-round tie, a game that gave the Blues support a good opportunity to have a look at some of our up-and-coming players within our academy groups.
Speaking on his appointment, Breen outlined how important it was to have that link within the club, and how much he’s looking forward to getting to work:
“I’m delighted to be involved with the academy now along with the first-team, looking to create that link between the two and work with the academy which is already a good set-up. I’m looking forward to getting hands-on and getting in there and try develop that link.
It’s a good bunch of players in there. I’m not going in to try and change anything with the academy, I’m just there to try and improve the squad.
“It’s huge to have that link between the first-team & academy, because we train at different times obviously and it’s hard for Keith [Long] to see everyone, so hopefully I can help him on that side in terms of making decisions on players going forward, along with the help of Sean Geoghegan & Mike Geoghegan, and just try & build on what is already a good relationship”.
