Willie Kirk, current Leicester manager, is one of seven male managers at 12 WSL clubs. According to Leicester manager Willie Kirk, this will lead to more female managers in the game.
At the end of the last Women's Super League season, Kirk was one of seven male managers at 12 clubs, and RunRepeat's 2021 report year showed that 72% of head coaches at the top level of women's football worldwide were men. However, Kirk believes that will now change as more women enter the elite environment.
“Now that we're getting closer to the generation of players who were full-time pros, you're going to get more female coaches who are dropping out because they're better educated in the game, because they've put in more hours training and more hours playing, they've got more experience with Euros, Worlds and the Olympics,” Kirk said on the latest edition of The Telegraph Women's Sport podcast. “So I really think that today's players, through the experience they've had, will learn more and be able to pass it on as a coach.
“In football, I think you have to be a little patient and just wait for the next generation of players to finish their playing careers and become really good coaches.”
Gisele Mather, Director of Women's Rugby at Ealing Trailfinders, has more than 20 years of coaching experience and believes decision makers need to be “bold” when it comes to appointing female coaches for this to become the norm
“Coaches are ready – now they understand the games, they have been playing sports for quite some time – now people are scheduling these meetings, they must be brave and take risks,” Mather. says the coaching podcast.
“Where we are now, the problem is not with women coaches, but with those who hire women coaches. It gives us an opportunity, and now it's the level where you have to be brave and say, “They're good enough for the role.”
“I took boys aged 16 to 18 from the London Irish who were looking for Premier League contracts. The then academy heads Toby Booth and Neil Hatley said: “You are a level four rugby teacher and coach.” This job is made for you.” They didn't care that I was a woman.
“No one had a problem with that. The guys never had a problem, so much so that there was one time we played and Sky Sports came to tell about it. I explained to the boys the night before, “Look, they're coming down because I'm a female coach,” and one of the boys said, “What?! We don't even see you as a woman.” Then he said, “Sorry, that's not what I meant.” But that's the best compliment you can give me. They didn't have a gender; it's people watching.”
This is the second episode of The Telegraph Women's Sport, a six-part six-part podcast, and host Sam Kwek, an Olympic gold medal-winning ice hockey player, said: “My outstanding guest was Gisele Mather. I obviously understand things from an athlete's point of view, but to hear her point of view as a coach, her openness and honesty was amazing.”
Listen to the new The Telegraph Women's Sport Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. Listen to the first episode of this series HERE.
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