Hutton handed the job at Brandywell

Peter Hutton has been handed the keys to the Derry City kingdom again. The Candystripes legend has been appointed as the club's first team manager until the end of the 2014 campaign following a meeting of the ten-man Board of Directors on Tuesday evening.

Hutton had taken interim charge following the departure of Roddy Collins on Sunday. He was Collins' number two, but rumours of a rift were sparked by Hutton's absence from Friday's game against Shamrock Rovers at the Brandywell.

An agitated Collins said, when pressed on the matter after the game, that Hutton was 'on football business'. Hutton attended the game between St Patrick's Athletic and Cork City at Richmond Park.

Hutton was initially thought to have had reservations about taking the job full-time, but he has agreed to fill the void until the end of the season. Marty McCann, who was first team coach during Collins' brief tenure, has stepped up to become Hutton's assistant manager.

"Following a meeting of the Derry City FC Board of Directors this evening, we are delighted to announce that Peter Hutton was offered, and has accepted the position of first team manager until the end of the season," a statement posted on the club's official website confirmed.

"Peter stepped up from assistant manager to caretaker manager this week following the departure of Roddy Collins and will now take over as full time manager. Peter will be no stranger to anyone involved with the club or indeed the League Of Ireland, holding the record for most appearances for Derry City, turning out over 600 times for the Candystripes.

"The board would like to urge all fans to get behind Peter and his assistant Marty McCann in the coming weeks and months and hopefully we will be celebrating success at the end of the season again."

Hutton was the choice of the Derry Board to assist Collins, appointed in November. It is believed that their relationship fractured over the last two weeks.

Hutton has previous managerial experience. Having been caretaker twice at Derry City, following Gavin Dykes' departure in 2004 and again in 2007 after Pat Fenlon's exit, he was more recently the manager of Derry's North-West rivals Finn Harps. Hutton had an eighteen-month spell in charge at Finn Park, from May 2012 until last October.

He had previously worked alongside Director of Football Felix Healy. Harps finished fifth in 2012, but last year ended the season joint sixth with Cobh Ramblers, having only Salthill Devon beneath them.

Hutton resigned prior to the penultimate game of the season and admitted that he 'probably underestimated the task at hand' in Ballybofey.

Upon rejoining Derry City - his hometown club whom he captained to the Premier Division title in 1997 - Hutton said it was a 'no brainer' and mentioned that he had 'learned a hell of a lot' in his time at Harps. 

He had always been seen as a long-term successor to Collins, but now Hutton gets to point the way quicker than anticipated. The 41-year-old is undergoing his UEFA Pro Licence to enable him take charge of Derry in the League of Ireland and which will also permit him to be in the dug-out for their upcoming Europa League games.