TRANMERE lost the services of head of youth Kenny Shiels after the Ulsterman took up a senior post at Kilmarnock yesterday.
Shiels is to work as coach and number two to Mixu Paatelainen, who took charge of the Scottish Premier League side last month.
Paatelainen, a former Finnish international striker, believes Shiels is the right man to help him keep Kilmarnock in Scotland’s top flight against a background of tight budget cuts at Rugby Park.
Shiels’s departure leaves another vacancy in the Tranmere backroom staff headed by manager Les Parry. Rovers have an opening for a youth and reserve team coach now that Shaun Garnett is stepping up to the assistant manager’s role. They will need a new man to oversee the club’s school of excellence set-up.
Shiels joined Tranmere three years ago, having made his reputation in Ireland as a coach at both youth and senior level.
Headhunted by Rovers, he initially took charge of the club’s school of excellence set up. Later he was appointed head of youth as a Warwick Rimmer, who headed Rovers youth set-up from 1987, geared down into semi-retirement.
Shiels also doubled as youth coach for much of last season after Garnett found himself committed to first-team duties at weekends as part of Parry’s senior coaching regime.
Parry said: “Kenny did fantastically well for us in the second half of last season when I had to take Shaun Garnett away from him.
“He worked like a Trojan, doing both the school of excellence and the youth coaching jobs and I think he thoroughly enjoyed it as well. He will be a big miss for us.
“However, to go to a club as big as Kilmarnock is an outstanding opportunity for him. We could have made it a little bit difficult for him to go. But there is no point. He had his heart set on it.
“I will be sitting down with the board of directors to discuss the staffing structure soon.”
Shiels said: “I am leaving with a heavy heart because this is a big family club and I had a really good working relationship with the people here. Tranmere is a club with good people in place. Les, Shaun and everyone else on the staff are working very hard.
“Although I am sad to leave, I feel as though I have left my imprint on the youth set-up and there is a good structure and a good future here.”
