Derry City has appointed Mark Connolly as their new director of football after he decided to call time on his playing career. Connolly, a Clones-born defender, started his professional career at Bolton before spells at Crawley Town, Kilmarnock and Dundee United, where he won the Scottish Championship title in 2020. He joined Derry in 2022 following a loan stint at Dundalk and helped the Brandywell club win the 2022 FAI Cup. Connolly said, "I am delighted to rejoin the club in a new role and I can't wait to get started." Coleraine boss Ruaidhri Higgins said Connolly "had a great influence on the group" during his time at the Showgrounds as the Bannsiders won the Irish Cup for the first time since 2018. Derry City sit sixth in the League of Ireland Premier Division standings and host Bohemians on Friday (19:45 BST), a game that can be watched on the BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website and app.