Stephen Kenny adds to his backroom team with Ruaidhri Higgins departing Dundalk to join the FAI

Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny is continuing to fine tune his preparations for his first game in charge of the senior international team and this evening has announced the trio of Ruaidhri Higgins, Damien Doyle and Kevin Mulholland as part of his backroom team.

Stephen Kenny was announced as successor to Mick McCarthy at the start of April with a decision taken to fast track the appointment as a result of the worldwide disruption to soccer at present and an ongoing uncertainty as to when action would resume.

The latest information and details confirmed by UEFA is that the Nations League will resume in September with Kenny taking it for the moment that his first game at the helm will be away to Bulgaria on Thursday 3rd of September.

With a date now to work towards, Kenny is getting down to preparing for this game and today was delighted to announce the three well known football coaches as his backroom team continues to take shape.

Close associate of Stephen Kenny and a former player under the Tallaght native at Derry City, Ruaidhri Higgins takes up the role of Senior National Team Chief Scout and Opposition Analyst.

The 35-year-old is well used to working alongside Stephen Kenny having worked under him as a player with both Derry City and Dundalk where he won a league medal.

More recently and before his departure to Coleraine, he took up the role of Opposition Analyst and Coach with Dundalk and then on to the Assistant Manager role at the club.

Portmarnock native Damien Doyle will become Head of Athletic Performance having built up a wealth of experience working in the UK with clubs such as Leicester City, Brentford and MK Dons and most recently with the Ireland U21 side under Kenny.

Sticking with familiarity, another member of Kenny's recent U21 backroom team Kevin Mulholland joins the senior outfit as a Chartered Physiotherapist.

He is currently working as the lead Performance and Injury Prevention Physiotherapist at Premier League club Southampton and has also worked at Stoke in the past.