World Cup cash for Scotland Women
On the ball: First Minister Nicola Sturgeon after announcing a funding agreement for the Scotland Women’s national team following qualification for their first Fifa Women’s World Cup to be held in France next summer.
Scotland head coach Shelley Kerr says she takes every opportunity to ask Nicola Sturgeon for advice about leadership, but admits she wouldn’t want to swap jobs with the First Minister.
Both were at Hampden yesterday for an announcement that will allow the domestic players in Kerr’s squad to train full-time for next year’s World Cup in France. Sturgeon is the Scotland women’s team patron and the side will make their first-ever appearance in the finals next June.
Kerr said: “We have a really good relationship. I’ve got huge admiration for her as a female leader. She’s somebody I look up to in terms of these qualities. We always talk about developing leaders within our group, and she epitomises that. I think she is a great role model.
“She has been very supportive not just to me and the players, but to the national team
in general. A lot of things are done on the radar, such as this announcement, but there are a lot of things which go under it as well. Any time I’m in contact with her I ask about leadership – even if it is one question. You can always learn from someone who is in the spotlight so much.”
When asked if she would be interested in doing Sturgeon’s job, Kerr laughed and replied: “No. Being the manager of a national team is hard enough.”
The majority of the players in the Scotland squad will not be affected by yesterday’s £80,000 Scottish government funding announcement as 15 play professionally in England, two in Sweden, and one in Italy. Team captain Rachel Corsie is with Utah Royals in the United States.
The financial aid, which starts in January, is aimed at those players, particularly with Scottish champions Glasgow City and Hibernian,
who have to juggle full-time day jobs with their football careers.
“The players have to get rest and recovery,” Kerr pointed out. “What we’ve been asking them to do is get up at 6am to go to the gym, go to work, and then train with their clubs at night. This announcement is huge for us. It gives the players the opportunity to prepare as best as possible for next year.”
The World Cup draw takes place in Paris on 8 December.
l Glasgow City must cope without captain Leanne Ross tonight when they try to complete the task of reaching the last 16 of the Champions League. City take a 2-0 advantage from the away leg in Limassol into their televised encounter against Somatio Barcelona at Petershill Park.
Ross and Somatio captain Rita Akaffau were both sent off a fortnight ago leaving the teams without their onfield leaders tonight.