Andy Reid has quit the FAI to become Nottingham Forest’s new Under-23s head coach.
The former Irish international and Forest midfielder had been Republic of Ireland Under-18s boss for the last two years.
But he was acting as interim boss of the Forest side since September and is now taking over on a permanent basis.
“I’m delighted to have accepted the role,” said Reid, who won 29 caps for the Boys in Green between 2003 and 2013.
“Everyone knows my affiliation with this club, so to now become head coach of the Under 23s is really special for me.
"We had a fantastic season last year and myself and all of the staff connected to the academy are determined to achieve parallel success this season.
“It's obviously an exciting time for the club with plans and ambitions to move the academy into the category one status.
“There's a lot of work to be done in order to achieve this, but we are all determined to see it through and give our players the best possible chance of successful careers.”
Reid finished his club career with Forest between 2011 and 2016 and his new role is likely to rule him out of the running for any post with the senior international team right now.
But the 38-year-old was not seen as being among the leading contenders to succeed Damien Duff on Stephen Kenny’s staff.
Lee Carsley remains the preferred choice although Mark Kennedy is also a viable contender and is keen on the role.
Leaving his Ireland Under-18s job, Reid said: “It’s with great regret that I’m leaving this position but the opportunity to work full-time at Forest was too good to turn down.
“I enjoyed every minute of it and I know the experience will stand to me for the rest of my career.”
