Willie Kirk Named Durham Head Coach Two Years After

Willie Kirk has been appointed head coach of Women's Super League 2 side Durham, two years after he was sacked by Leicester City Women's Team for being involved in a relationship with one of the players. Kirk, who is 48, was fired in March 2024 after an internal investigation found that he had a physical relationship with a player, in violation of the club's code of conduct. While relationships between players and coaches are not illegal, as long as they do not involve underage individuals, it was a return to the world of English football for Kirk. The official statement from Durham made no mention of Kirk's dismissal from Leicester City. A code of conduct governing the relationship between players and coaches is a requirement for clubs to obtain a WSL licence, and every club is required to have a safeguarding officer in place. BBC Sport has contacted Durham for comment regarding this appointment as well as the Football Association (FA) and Professional Players Association (PFA). Personal relationships between players and coaches in women's soccer have drawn criticism as potentially creating a power imbalance within teams and could harm young women. England manager Sarina Wiegman has described such relationships as "completely inappropriate" and "unhealthy". A year after being sacked, Kirk expressed her hope of getting a second chance, saying she had not received an interview call after applying for all vacancies in the WSL and England's women's second division except Arsenal and Manchester City.  “Durham has established itself as a respected club with strong values and a clear identity, and I am very excited about the opportunity to work with the players and staff to build on those foundations,” Kirk said of his appointment at Durham. "I believe in creating an environment where people are challenged, supported and encouraged to improve themselves every day." Last season, Durham finished 10th in the Women's Super League 2 and announced in March that head coach Adam Furness would move into a new role within the club. Kirk joins Durham having recently left Swedish top-flight side Djurgardens, and previously also coached Linkoping in last year's Damallsvenskan. He has spent 16 years in women's football, previously managing Everton, Bristol City and Hibernian, and previously served as assistant coach at Manchester United. “We are thrilled to have Willie as first team coach,” added Durham Women's director Lee Sanders. "His experience and track record in developing top players speaks for itself."

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