Maik Taylor is to step down from his role as Northern Ireland goalkeeping coach to pursue other interests in football.
The 47-year-old, who has been part of the set-up for the past five years, was a member of the coaching staff that helped the senior men’s international side reach the knock-out stages of UEFA EURO 2016.
During the qualification run for that tournament he worked closely with both Roy Carroll and Michael McGovern and has recently helped in the development of young goalkeepers such as Bailey Peacock-Farrell and Conor Hazard.
Taylor won 88 caps for Northern Ireland between 1999 and 2011 and was between the posts for the famous win over England in 2005 and came on as a first half substitute to help Northern Ireland beat Spain in 2006.
Northern Ireland senior men’s international manager Michael O’Neill said: “I would like to thank Maik for his excellent contribution over the past five years. He was a fantastic person to have around the squad and he did a great job in preparing our goalkeepers to perform at their best.
“Everyone involved with Northern Ireland wishes Maik well in his future coaching career.”
A new goalkeeping coach will be appointed ahead of the start of Northern Ireland UEFA EURO 2020 qualifying campaign.
