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The Atlanta United/Aberdeen FC strategic partnership has once again been utilized, this time for a rather huge move. The Scottish club announced on Tuesday that Stephen Glass has been named its new first-team manager. The former Atlanta United interim manager and current ATL UTD 2 manager will leave the Five Stripes to return to his homeland and manage in the Scottish Premiership.
We are delighted to confirm Stephen Glass as the new manager of Aberdeen Football Club.#StandFree
— Aberdeen FC (@AberdeenFC) March 23, 2021
“We can’t thank Stephen enough for his contributions to the club,” Atlanta United President Darren Eales said in a press release. “For the past three seasons, he has played a crucial role in the development of players across all levels of the club, from Academy to First Team. Stephen will undoubtedly be missed, but we are excited for his opportunity to lead the club where he made his professional debut.”
Glass takes over for longtime manager Derek McInnes, who left the club in early March due to a poor run of form. Aberdeen currently sit fourth in the table, 40 points behind Rangers.
Glass’ time in Atlanta was an adventurous one as he joined the club in 2018 as an academy coach and worked his way up to take over the USL team. He’ll be most fondly remembered by Atlanta fans for rolling up his sleeves and taking the near-impossible interim manager job in mid-2020 after the departure of Frank de Boer. While his record as interim manager wasn’t pretty, his willingness to take over during a worldwide pandemic in the middle of an injury-ravaged season will always be appreciated.
We wish him nothing but the best of luck on this next journey of his burgeoning coaching career. Good luck, Glassy!