JIM Magilton has been officially confirmed as the new manager of Cliftonville.

The West Belfast man takes over from Paddy McLaughlin who stepped down towards the end of last season with Declan O'Hara steering the Reds through to the end of the campaign.

Magilton will be joined by former Reds' boss Gerard Lyttle as his assistant.

As a player, Magilton moved to Liverpool after making his Irish League debut with Distillery as a 15-year-old and then went onto enjoy a professional career that saw him move on to Oxford United and then Premier League clubs in Southampton, Sheffield Wednesday and Ipswich Town.

His managerial career began with a three-year spell at Ipswich before a spell with Queens Park Rangers.

The former Northern Ireland international then worked alongside Michael O'Neill at Shamrock Rovers before a spell managing Australian A-League outfit Melbourne Victory.

Since then, he has served as IFA Elite Performance Director and also as manager of the U21 side, while he has also served as interim manager at Dundalk having been a Sporting Director at the League of Ireland club.

The 54-year-old will become the first full-time manager in the history of the North Belfast club and says he hopes to build on the progress made over recent seasons.

“It’s an honour to be appointed manager of a great club with such proud traditions,” he told the Cliftonville FC website.

“I’m very excited about the job and really looking forward to working with such a talented squad of players. A new manager coming in will always cast a fresh pair of eyes over things, but Paddy McLaughlin did a wonderful job at Cliftonville and I want to build on the successes that he had."

The new boss says he has already began planning for the new campaign and hopes to employ a style that will not only bring success, but also be enjoyable to watch for those in the stands at Solitude.

“I’ve been very busy already and there are conversations to be had with players at the club, plus some we will be looking to bring in," he confirmed.

"There’s a very tight turnaround between now and the start of the new season but I’m experienced enough to deal with that and the work has already started to make sure we’re in the best possible shape.

“It’s such a competitive League and I want our fans to enjoy the brand of football that we will play. I want them to be proud of their team and I want them to play a role in helping us be successful. 

"I may be new to the place but one thing I do know about the club is that a united Cliftonville is a strong Cliftonville, so having the manager, players, fans and everyone else behind the scenes all united and all pulling in the same direction from top to bottom can make us a real force in this League.”

The decision to appoint Magilton as a full-time coach was made after a review of how the local game sits and with a number of full-time clubs in the NIFL, it was felt the new direction was needed to ensure not only the first team is heading in the right direction, but the entire club with continuity from the Academy a major priority.

“We are delighted to have secured the services of Jim Magilton and I look forward to working with him," said Cliftonville chairman, Paul McKeown.

"Jim and the coaching staff will get to work immediately to look to strengthen the squad.

“Having played in the English Premier League, made more than 50 international appearances for Northern Ireland and managed Ipswich Town, QPR and others, it’s clear that Jim fits the bill of what we were looking for in terms of a candidate with a background in the full-time game at the highest level.

“He was the club’s top target for the position and we’re very pleased to have made this appointment. As everyone involved in football knows, the close season passes in the blink of an eye and Jim is already working hard in the countdown to the new campaign, which will be here before we know it.

“While last season tailed off disappointingly, I believe we have the right team in place to take the club forward and give our fans the success that we all crave.”