In what has been a turbulent season for the boys in blue, UCD AFC has been dealt a further blow as boss Andy Myler has announced he will leave his position at the conclusion of the season. Myler’s decision came just before the team’s early relegation at the hands of Shamrock Rovers.
Albeit, a brave performance in the Bowl, as the league leaders were held to a scoreless draw and UCD avoided a 17th consecutive league defeat. A single point would not fund UCD’s survival hopes, however, as UCD could only manage eleven points in total with just four games to play.
Myler has pointed to alternative commitments outside of football as the reasoning for his departure when speaking to extratime.com; “I can’t combine the day job with it anymore and keep all the plates in the air. I need to step away and focus on the day job for a while.”
Not fleeing too far from the college, Myler’s full-time job requires him to remain on campus, being the Director of Estates Operations & Services in UCD.
Myler’s resignation brings to a close a 3-year tenure with the Belfield side, after being appointed as manager in December of 2019. During his time in the role, the former UCD & Shamrock Rovers player led his side to promotion from the First Division in the 2021 season.
Subsequently, Myler’s men avoided relegation the following year in a dramatic finish to the season, which saw UCD edge out Waterford in the relegation playoff for the second year running.
A rather successful tint ends in unfortunate fashion as Myler leaves the club in the same state that he resumed the managerial duties, a first division side. Not an unfamiliar identity here in UCD, but one that has become inescapable with next season set to be UCD’s seventh appearance in the First Division in just 10 seasons.
UCD AFC has announced current assistant manager William O’Connor, formerly the FAI U18s manager, will take up the task of leading UCD in the hunt for Premier Division football next season.
In the meantime, UCD will face another transfer window this Winter in which many of their top players will seek moves away from Belfield. If anything can be derived from the most recent windows, O’Connor will have a very different squad at his disposal to the current one.
