Whether it’s Firat, Gareth Southgate or Didier Deschamps in the centre of debate, it’s common thing to hear discussions about how good some international coaches are.But it’s not that often that you see a genuine dentist working as a national team boss. Yet he’s not only respected but gets new jobs despite failing to achieve greater success with the previous ones (his win rate so far has been just 39%). Heimir Hallgrimsson, namely, became the new Republic of Ireland manager, the FAI have confirmed.Heimir Hallgrimsson is the new Ireland manager. He was a dentist for years. Which is perfect. Because watching Ireland is just like getting teeth pulled out. pic.twitter.com/Jtk3Y8X7ON— Joe McGucken (@JosephMcgucken) July 10, 2024 The Icelandic coach most recently worked as manager of Jamaica before stepping down earlier this month after the team’s poor performance at the Copa America. He had been in the position for two years.His final game was a 3-0 loss to Venezuela, leaving the Reggae Boyz pointless from after three group games.Commenting on his appointment, Hallgrimsson, 57, said: “It is an honour to be appointed Head Coach of the Ireland Senior Men’s National Team. Ireland is rightly a proud footballing nation which has consistently produced talented players and enjoyed many memorable moments at major international tournaments.##NAJAVA_MECA_8208615##”We have a young and exciting team that has genuine potential. I am looking forward to working closely with the players to help coach and guide them towards improved performances and results, ensuring we qualify and compete at major tournaments on a regular basis. We have important and exciting games coming up in the UEFA Nations League later this year and a massive FIFA World Cup qualification campaign coming up next year.”Finally, I am also looking forward to getting to know the people of Ireland and, in particular, the wonderful fans of Irish football. It is my responsibility to coach, prepare and develop our team as best as possible to deliver results on the pitch and to make our supporters happy and proud.” ##EDITORS_CHOICE##What Hallgrimson didn’t say, and is more interesting to the Irish public, is his CV. It would be a mistake to call it a hobby since football has been more of a hobby for him.He originally studied computer science at Reykjavik University with the aim of becoming a software engineer, but later qualified in dentistry, working as a dentist for years. Moreover, throughout his playing career, he also served as the dentist for his home village, and even after taking sole reign over the Icelandic national team after Euro 2016.That same year, he attended a women’s game as a spectator and cared for a player who had a tooth knocked out during a game. He rushed to the pitch while the player was knocked unconscious and put the tooth back in place. Then, he personally made the necessary tooth repair at a nearby dental office.At least, Ireland don’t have to worry about bitting hard in the upcoming qualifiers. Heimir is there to make it happen for sure.
