Stephen Henderson is an Irish football manager and former player who played as a goalkeeper

Goalkeeper (football)

In association football, the goalkeeper occupies a position that represents the last line of defence between the opponent's offence and his own team's goal. The primary role of the goalkeeper is to defend his team's goal and prevent the opposition from scoring a goal...

.

Personal life

Henderson comes from a goalkeeping family, his father, Paddy Henderson

Paddy Henderson (footballer)

Paddy Henderson is a former Irish football player who played as a goalkeeper.-Football career:Paddy began his career at Holyhead Town in Wales before signing for League of Ireland side Shamrock Rovers F.C...

, was a League of Ireland

League of Ireland

The League of Ireland is the national association football league of the Republic of Ireland. Founded in 1921, as a league of eight clubs, it has expanded over time into a two-tiered league of 22 clubs. It is currently split into the League of Ireland Premier Division and the League of Ireland...

 goalkeeper, as was his brother Dave Henderson

Dave Henderson (footballer)

Dave Henderson , is a former Irish professional footballer goalkeeper who played in the League of Ireland from 1978 until his retirement in 1998. He also played two seasons in the North American Soccer League.-Career:...

, while his younger brother Wayne Henderson is a current Republic of Ireland

Republic of Ireland national football team

The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....

 international goalkeeper, and his son Stephen Henderson (footballer born 1988) currently minds the nets for the Republic of Ireland under-21 national football team

Career

Following a long playing career that started at Shelbourne

Shelbourne F.C.

Shelbourne Football Club is an Irish professional football club based in the Drumcondra area of Dublin, currently playing in the League of Ireland Premier Division....

 in 1984 and included Dundalk

Dundalk F.C.

Dundalk Football Club is a professional Irish football club based in Dundalk, County Louth. The club currently play in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland. Founded in 1903, they are the second most successful team, in terms of trophies won, in the history of the League of Ireland. The...

, Limerick

Limerick F.C.

Limerick Football Club is an association football club based in Limerick, Ireland. The club currently play in the First Division of the League of Ireland. The first Limerick FC was founded in 1937 and has had a number of guises through its history, known at different times as Limerick FC, Limerick...

, Lisburn Distillery F.C.

Lisburn Distillery F.C.

Lisburn Distillery is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club playing in the IFA Premiership. The club, founded in 1880, originated in west Belfast, where it was based at Grosvenor Park at Distillery Street off the Grosvenor Road until 1971...

, St James's Gate

St James's Gate F.C.

St James's Gate F.C. is an Irish football club that currently plays in the Leinster Senior League. St James Gate was founded as the footballing part of the Guinness Sports and Social club and was named after St. James's Gate Brewery....

, Cobh Ramblers, Ards

Ards F.C.

Ards F.C. is an intermediate, Northern Irish football club playing in IFA Championship 1. The club, founded in 1900, is from Newtownards, but plays its home matches at Dixon Park in Ballyclare, which it shares with Ballyclare Comrades...

 and Finn Harps

Finn Harps F.C.

Finn Harps Football Club are a professional Irish football club playing in the First Division of the League of Ireland. The club was founded in 1954 and elected to the league in 1969. They hail from Ballybofey, County Donegal and play their home matches at Finn Park. The club's colours are blue...

, Henderson spent four years as the goalkeeping coach at Cork City.

However, when the manager’s job at neighbouring Cobh Ramblers became available in 2004 he became the first member of his family to become a senior manager. He made his managerial bow at Finn Park

Finn Park

Finn Park is a football stadium in Ballybofey, Ireland, the home of League of Ireland Premier Division team Finn Harps F.C., and has a capacity of 7,500 with 400 seats...

 on the 4th of September. He guided the club to third place in the First Division table in 2005, their highest league placing since 1999, and fourth place the following season before delivering the club their first ever piece of silverware when he guided Cobh Ramblers to the First Division title in 2007

2007 League of Ireland

The League of Ireland, consisting of both the League of Ireland Premier Division and the League of Ireland First Division, kicked off in March, 2007...

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Cobh were relegated in 2008 from the Premier Division and Henderson took up the manager's post at Waterford United in December 2008.

He led the club to the final of the League Cup and the semi-finals of the FAI Cup in 2009, and to the promotion play-offs the following season. However, after an indifferent start to the following season, in May 2011 Henderson was sacked by the Blues http://www.waterford-united.ie/stephen-hendersons-contract-terminated/.

As a manager

• First Division title
  • Cobh Ramblers F.C.
    Cobh Ramblers F.C.
    Cobh Ramblers Football Club . is an Irish football club playing in the A Championship, the third tier of Irish football. The club, founded in 1922 and elected to the league in 1985, hails from Cobh, County Cork and play their home matches at St. Colman's Park...
    
    2007