Years Team Current team 1. FFC Frankfurt | Playing position Height 1.79 m (5 ft 10 ⁄2 in) Name Colin Bell | |
Date of birth (1961-08-05) 5 August 1961 (age 54) | ||
Colin Bell (born 5 August 1961) is an English football manager and former footballer, who currently manages the Republic of Ireland women's national football team.
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Playing career
Bell began his career at Leicester City, but did not break into the first team, and left for Germany aged 20. Bell played for VfL Hamm and 1. FSV Mainz 05, featuring in the 2. Bundesliga for the latter.
Coaching career
Bell retired to take up coaching in 1989. He managed TuS Koblenz for seven years, before joining the coaching staff at 1. FC Köln in 1996. In 1999, he took on his most high-profile role to date, managing Dynamo Dresden, but was not successful – the team failed to qualify for the restructured Regionalliga, and dropped to the Oberliga (level four) for the first time. He was sacked before the end of the season. After spells managing SV Waldhof Mannheim, 1. FSV Mainz 05's reserve team, and SC Preußen Münster, he worked at TuS Koblenz as assistant manager and youth coach.
In 2011, he signed for SC 07 Bad Neuenahr in Germany's Women's Bundesliga. Two seasons later, Bell became the manager of 1. FFC Frankfurt. The team won the Frauen DFB Pokal in 2014 and the UEFA Women's Champions League in 2015.
In December 2015, he left 1. FFC Frankfurt to coach Avaldsnes IL.
In July 2016, he returned to Germany to coach Sand.
On 8 February 2017, Colin Bell was appointed the Senior International Manager of the Republic of Ireland, replacing Sue Ronan. He took up his new position from 13 February 2017.