Leicester City confirm departure of Barnsley FC icon Conor Hourihane as ex-Leeds United man assumes new role
Leicester City have a confirmed the departure of a former Barnsley midfielder and manager
Barnsley icon Conor Hourihane has left Leicester City less than five months on from his appointment as assistant manager.
The 35-year-old was a Reds hero in his playing days and made 136 appearances in the club’s colours. He later took the reins as the club’s head coach, but left at the end of last season.
He bounced back into coaching with Leicester, taking up a role alongside Russell Martin.
Conor Hourihane moves on
However, just months into his spell as Martin’s number two, Hourihane has left the third-tier Foxes. Martin will now have coaching support from ex-Leeds United forward Steve Morison, who will combine coaching duties with his responsibilities as loans manager.
A club spokesperson said: “We can confirm that Leicester City assistant manager Conor Hourihane has left the football club. We thank Conor for his contribution during his time with us and wish him well for the future.
“First-team manager Russell Martin will continue to be supported by the existing coaching staff of Andy King, Tom Weal and Rhys Owen.
“Steve Morison will also provide coaching support to the first team alongside his existing responsibilities as loans manager.”
Hourihane has taken to Instagram to address his Leicester exit, insisting he is a “better coach” for his time with the club.
He said: “Wishing everyone at Leicester City all the very best moving forward, it’s a brilliant club with brilliant people. Really enjoyed my time and learned so much to make me a better coach going into my next role.”
Reason for Leicester City exit
Fans were left to wonder why Hourihane had left so early into his Foxes stay, but head coach Russell Martin has quelled speculation with a simple explanation.
He said: “I think purely down to a really honest conversation between me and Conor. He really wants to be a manager again. I'm really grateful he joined as a coach and wanted to learn.
“There's been opportunities that have come up here and abroad that maybe would have interested him if he'd been out of work. So we have to recognise that we want people here that are all in. It frees him up to take an opportunity.”
Conor Hourihane’s history
Retired midfielder Hourihane, who also had a loan spell at Sheffield United during his playing career, initially joined Barnsley in 2014. He was an influential figure during an exciting chapter in the club’s history, helping the Reds climb from League One into the Championship.
He left in 2017 before returning seven years later, taking up a player-coach role during the reign of Darrell Clarke. Hourihane hung up his boots shortly into his second Oakwell stay, focusing solely on his coaching duties.
He was handed the main role on a full-time basis when Clarke was dispensed of, but could not push the Reds into the League One promotion picture.