Conor Pepper Retires, Joins Cliftonville Staff

Conor Pepper has officially retired from professional football, marking the end of a noteworthy career that spanned several clubs across the UK and Ireland. The 32-year-old has opted to transition into a coaching role with Cliftonville, where he will serve as a first-team coach under the guidance of manager Jim Magilton. Pepper's tenure as a player at Cliftonville was marked by his 98 appearances and victories in both the Irish Cup and League Cup, following his transfer from Linfield in 2023.

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Pepper's career began at St Patrick's Athletic, and he later moved to Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the Scottish Premiership. His journey continued with Greenock Morton, where he triumphed in the Scottish League One, before spending two seasons at Glentoran. His time at Linfield was also successful, highlighted by a league and Irish Cup double in the 2020-21 season.

In addition to Pepper's new role, Cliftonville has bolstered their squad with three new additions as part of the summer transfer window. Defenders Dan O'Connor and Kyle McClelland have joined the club, alongside winger Ben Quinn. O'Connor, aged 21, arrives from AFC Totton, while McClelland returns to Cliftonville on a permanent basis after a previous loan spell from Glenavon. Unfortunately, McClelland's earlier stint was cut short due to a broken toe. Ben Quinn, known for his familial ties to Republic of Ireland internationals Alan and Stephen Quinn, joins from Portadown after previous experiences with Celtic and Mansfield.