The 32-year-old formed part of a co-coaching team with Paul Temple last term and is looking forward to taking sole responsibility in the role this time.
“I am really excited by this opportunity,” Shelley says.
“As always, we will be setting out to win the ASB Premiership and will also be looking to ensure we can qualify for the OFC Champions League,” he adds.
“We have been working hard over the last number of weeks on the recruitment of players we feel will give us the best opportunity of achieving our goals. Waitakere is a club that should be up there challenging for honours and I have a responsibility to make sure that is the case.”
Shelley combined his coaching duties with being a key member of the Waitakere defence last season and will continue to do so as he has no plans to hang up his boots just yet.
“When I feel like I’m not adding value on the pitch and am getting in the way of the younger players coming through then I’ll look at it. But I’m still young so I’m not going to decide anything just yet – it’s about making the right decision at the right time.”
The Irishman will have his hands full as he is also the club’s Director of Football, a recently-created role he took on at the conclusion of last season’s national league in April.
But he does not feel he has too much responsibility on his shoulders and is currently putting together a first-team backroom staff that will allow the workload to be appropriately managed.
“I am privileged to be working fulltime in the game and am really enjoying the Director of Football role. Balancing that with my coaching and playing will be all about assembling a strong technical team as that will allow me to focus on the games as a player when the season starts,” he says.
Waitakere’s ASB Premiership campaign is scheduled to kick-off in November and Shelley’s appointment is not the only news on the coaching front among the league’s eight clubs.
The South Island-based sides both have new men in charge with Sean Devine taking over at Canterbury United and Mike Fridge assuming control of Southern United while Hawke’s Bay United have turned to former English Premier League player Brett Angell.
For more on New Zealand football visit www.nzfootball.co.nz

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