Shelley Kerr has been appointed as the new head coach of the Scotland Women’s National Team.
She previously coached Kilmarnock, Hibernian and Spartans before joining the Scottish FA, first as Regional Development Officer and then as Technical and Development Programme Manager for Girls’ and Women’s Football.
In 2010 she led the Scotland Women’s Under–19 national team to the UEFA Women’s Under-19 Championship finals.
After leaving the Scottish FA she moved to England to manage Arsenal Ladies from 2013 until 2014, during which time she won two consecutive FA Cups.
She became the first female manager in British men’s senior football when she was appointed manager of Stirling University in 2014, leading them to a British Universities Championship Final and achieving consistent top five finishes in the Scottish Lowland Football League.
During a 20-year playing career she represented a number of clubs including Kilmarnock, Hibernian, Doncaster Rovers Belles and Spartans, winning every major club honour in Scotland.
She earned 59 caps for Scotland, captaining her country on multiple occasions and scoring three goals.
In 2013 she earned her UEFA Pro Licence, the highest coaching certification available, and recently completed an MSc in Sports Management at Stirling University.
She will begin her role in June, succeeding current national coach Anna Signeul who will step down from the role after the UEFA Women’s Euro 2017 finals this summer.
Prior to beginning her role, shewill attend the qualifying draw for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Switzerland on 25 April, along with Scottish FA Performance Director Malky Mackay.
She said: “I am extremely proud and honoured to be named as coach of the Scotland Women’s National Team.
“As a young girl, and being extremely passionate about Scotland, it was my ambition to represent my country and now to get the opportunity to lead the women’s national team is a dream come true.
“I have never hidden the fact that I have always been very ambitious as an aspiring coach and I have tried to give myself as broad a skillset as possible to help me achieve my goals.
“My time as manager of Stirling University was extremely beneficial to my personal and professional development. The knowledge sharing and support, expertise and guidance provided by the high performance coaches there have made the last three years an enjoyable and rewarding experience.
“Anna Signeul has done a fantastic job throughout her 12 years in the role and has really changed the perception of the girls’ and women’s game in Scotland.
“We have a great group of players and my goal is to continue the good work and sustain the level of success that the team has achieved in recent years.”
Malky Mackay, Scottish FA Performance Director: “Shelley was the outstanding candidate for the position. She has a wealth of experience in international football, in the club game and as the first female manager in British senior men’s football.
“She is a deep thinker of the game but also has a huge passion for football and that shone through during the interview process.
“She has an excellent knowledge of Scottish football and knows the strength and depth of the squad, so we are confident that she will hit the ground running.
“Naming Shelley as Anna’s successor now gives her the best chance to prepare for the FIFA World Cup qualifiers, which start only four weeks after the end of the Euros this summer.
“This is an exciting time for women’s football in Scotland. Anna has done a fantastic job in her 12 years, culminating in her leading the team to a major finals for the first time, and I look forward to seeing Shelley build on this success.”
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
