Redfearn: Women will boss in Prem
FORMER Leeds United boss Neil Redfearn believes that a Premier League or EFL club could one day have a female manager or coach.
In charge of his third women’s team – Championship side Sheffield United – Redfearn has seen the women’s game flourish, producing outstanding players and coaches.
Manchester City and England defender Lucy Bronze recently received the highest accolade in the game, being named FIFA Women’s Player Of The Year.
And with the Women’s Super League going from strength to strength and emerging from the shadow of the men’s game, 2021 promises to be an exciting time with the Olympics offering a lofty stage for the Great Britain side.
Managers such as Chelsea’s Emma Hayes, who has won three titles, are becoming household names and, says Redfearn, are starting to be talked about in male game boardrooms.
He said: “If you have experience and are good enough, why can’t a woman manage or coach in the men’s game?
“It’s a difficult profession to go into because it is quite cut-throat. You’ve got to be prepared for that.
“I’ve come across some very talented coaches in the women’s game and Emma Hayes is definitely one. There’s Vicky Jepson, who I took in as my assistant when I was at Liverpool and who is now in charge there.
“She is a really good coach, thinks outside the box, is bright, brings something different and understands the game.
“She’s not on her own. There’s a lot of good coaches out there who are capable of going on and doing good things. “So why not a woman? “We’re more in tune now about how people work and how to get the best out of players.”