He finished his career with Raith Rovers following his departure from Rangers, starting his coaching career at Hearts in 2016. Taken charge of the club’s under-20 team, he also had two spells in interim charge of the team. After his stint in the capital, Daly then moved to Finland to become assistant manager of TPS Turku, but returned to his native Ireland to take up a similar role with St Patrick’s Athletic shortly afterwards.

After a successful spell in interim charge of the club, he won his first piece of silverware as a manager when his Pats side won the 2023 FAI Cup Final, beating rivals Bohemians 3–1 in front of a record-breaking FAI Cup crowd of 43,881 at the Aviva Stadium. Sacked just seven months later after a poor run of form, a short spell at Dundalk followed, before he returned to an assistant managerial role with Galway United, helping them escape relegation on the final day of the campaign with a 1-1 draw against his new side, Waterford.

“It’s an honour to take charge of Waterford FC,” said Daly. “Waterford is a club with huge potential, and my job is simple — unlock it. I believe that’s done by setting high standards every single day. The people of Waterford expect fight, pride, and passion. If we can match the energy in the stands and transfer it onto the pitch, this club can go places it hasn’t been in a long time.

“There’s a big challenge ahead to build a team that works for each other, plays with intensity and never hides. The challenge really excites me and I’m looking forward to getting immersed in the Waterford community and meeting all the players, staff and supporters.”