SHELLEY KERR has been appointed as the new head coach of the Scotland Women's national team, the Scottish FA has announced.
The former Kilmarnock, Hibernian and Spartans coach won every major honour in Scotland during a 20-year club career before going on to lift two consecutive FA Cup trophies as Arsenal ladies boss in 2013 and 2014.
She will succeed Anna Signeul in June, when the current manager will step down following the Euro 2017 finals.
Kerr, who has also led the Scotland Women's Under-19 side and became the first female manager in British men's senior football with Stirling University in 2014, 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.”
SFA Performance Director Malky Mackay added: “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.”
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