JASON RYAN HAS tendered his resignation as manager of the Kildare senior football team.
Ryan had two years at the helm in the county and also worked as an assistant to previous manager Kieran McGeeney in 2012.
His departure was was announced at this evening’s County Board meeting, before being confirmed in a statement in which Kildare GAA thanked Ryan “for his level of dedication and commitment during his time with the county”.
Selector Morgan O’Callaghan was among those who took to social media to pay tribute to Ryan for his contribution.
“Very privileged to have worked with Jason Ryan for 3 years! Unbelievably hard worker with huge passion and enthusiasm for the game. A real gent,” said O’Callaghan.
“It is with regret that I wish to resign from my position as Kildare senior football manager,” said Ryan. “It is not a decision that I have taken lightly. I have been involved in inter-county management since October 2007 and the challenges and time requirements of the job have taken their toll.
“I wish to thank the Kildare County Board for giving me the opportunity to work as manager for the last two seasons and to Kieran McGeeney for giving me the opportunity to work with him as selector in 2013. It has been a privilege.
“I would like to thank the players for their hard work and dedication to Kildare. Keep the faith men! Above all I would like to thank the wonderful people who made up our entire backroom team. Over the last two years their honesty, hard work, commitment and passion for Kildare football cannot be overstated.
“During my three years in Kildare I have learned a great deal and have had some wonderful experiences. In particular the scenes that I experienced at the end of game against Cork will remain with me for the rest of my life.”
In the first of Ryan’s two seasons as Kildare manager, the Lilywhites lost a Leinster semi-final to Meath. Following wins against Down and Clare in the qualifiers, they were eventually eliminated by Monaghan just before the quarter-final stages.
This year saw Kildare comprehensively beaten by Dublin in the Leinster semi-finals but they rallied well in the qualifiers to overcome Offaly, Longford and Cork before losing heavily to Kerry in the All-Ireland quarter-finals.
Kildare suffered back-to-back Allianz League relegations during Ryan’s two seasons as manager, dropping from Division 1 in 2014 to Division 3 for 2016.
Former Kildare captain and ex-U21 boss Glenn Ryan is expected to be among the front-runners to replace Jason Ryan.
