Stephen Rice has explained leaving his scouting job at Crystal Palace.
Ireland chief scout and opposition analyst Stephen Rice has stressed that he wouldn't have left a steady job at Crystal Palace to join Stephen Kenny's staff if he didn't think the project had long-term potential.
Rice had two years left on his contract as a coach with the Premier League club's U-23 side when he decided to quit in the summer and join Kenny's backroom team, replacing Ruaidhrí Higgins after his earlier departure to become Derry City boss.
Rice told the Sunday World: “It wasn't something where I was going, 'I'm not sure'. This was a chance to work at senior level and from what I saw up close and personal from all of the staff and the players and knowing a lot of the younger players really well, I genuinely believe in what we can do.
“Some people might say, 'You're mad' and that's OK, but I'm a firm believer and I absolutely see it as a long-term thing."
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