Aaron Callaghan
Aaron Joseph Callaghan (born 8 October 1966) is an Irish football manager and former player. He was a defender who spent his club career in England and Ireland, most notably with Stoke City, Crewe Alexandra, Oldham Athletic, Preston North End, Shelbourne, Crusaders, St Patrick’s Athletic, Dundalk and Longford Town. He made 288 league appearances and scored 12 goals in total.
Born in Dublin, Callaghan came through Stoke City’s youth system and signed pro in 1984. He had a loan spell at Crewe, then played for Oldham, returned to Crewe, and later joined Preston North End. He also played for Shelbourne, Crusaders, St Patrick’s Athletic, Glenavon (loan), Dundalk and Longford Town, ending his playing career in 2002–2004. He was part of Crewe’s promotion-winning side in 1988–89 and earned two Republic of Ireland under-21 caps.
His management career began as player-manager of Crusaders (1998–1999). He later managed Athlone Town (2004), Longford Town (2007–2008), Bohemians (2012–2013), UCD (2014), Carrick Rangers (2016–2017) and Athlone Town again (2017–2018). He also worked with Cherry Orchard’s Youth Academy from 2019. Callaghan was one of Ireland’s first UEFA Pro Licence holders (2007) and has served as a coach education tutor for the Football Association of Ireland and as a sports development officer for Dublin City Council. He has contributed to LeagueofIreland.ie as a journalist, sharing his managerial perspective.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 04:36 (CET).