He was also a founding member and former manager of Monaghan United, and had a spell in charge of Dundalk in 2012.

"It is very sad to learn of the passing of Sean McCaffrey, who was truly an inspirational character and someone who made a difference at all levels of the game," said FAI CEO John Delaney.

"From his early days with Monaghan United to serving as an FAI Development Officer in the north east of the country and through to his masterful handling of the Republic of Ireland Under 19, Under 18 and Under 17 teams, he covered so much.

"While many people will rightly praise Sean for leading his Under 17 team in 2008 to the European Championships in Turkey, his real legacy lies with the numbers of players that he helped produce for the men’s senior team, which was well into double figures and included the likes of Robbie Brady, Jeff Hendrick, James McCarthy, Darren Randolph and Aiden McGeady.

So sad to hear of the passing of Sean McCaffrey. An absolute gentleman and brilliant manager who had a huge influence on my own development and that of many others. RIP Sean

— Johnny Dunleavy (@Johnny_Dunleavy) December 30, 2017

Seán McCaffrey was a gas gas man. Gave me my first international cap and will always thank him for that. RIP Seán 🙏

— Gavan Holohan (@Gav_Holohan34) December 30, 2017

"Quite simply, Sean McCaffrey was a football man. He was passionate about the development of the game, he drove Irish football on, and he was always the same, whether he was dealing with a schoolboy starting out or one of the country’s elite players.

"We send our deepest condolences to Sean’s family and friends at this time and we will remember Sean’s contribution to Irish football with a special presentation in the new year."