Women’s Sport Week – A Profile on Shelley Kerr

On the first day of our exciting week of highlighting high achieving women in sport we are very excited to feature none other than Shelley Kerr.

Shelley Kerr is a Scottish football manager and former player. As a player Kerr was a powerful centre back, who captained the Scotland women’s national football team as well as clubs including Kilmarnock and Hibernian. She won 59 caps for Scotland between 1989 and 2008. During her playing career Kerr won every domestic honour in Scotland and played in the UEFA Women’s Cup. She also represented Doncaster Rovers Belles in England.

As a coach, Kerr gained experience at Kilmarnock, Hibernian and Spartans while progressing through the Scottish Football Association’s (SFA) Long-term Player Development pathway, eventually taking charge of the Scotland women’s under–19 national team in 2009. She gained the UEFA Pro Licence in January 2013, and in February 2013 she was named manager of English FA WSL club Arsenal Ladies. She won the FA Cup with Arsenal twice.

On Tuesday 19 August 2014 Kerr was appointed as manager of the Lowland Football League side Stirling University F.C.  Kerr’s appointment is the first time at this level in the United Kingdom a woman has been named as manager of a men’s side.

We are delighted to have Shelley as our first women highlighted this week.  Shelley was a speaker at the Scottish Student Sport annual conference in 2016 and she has undoubtedly improved the media profile of women’s sport and female athletes and has broken ground with regards to representation in sport leadership and workforce.

Please check back with us everyday this week to see us feature a different and amazing woman in sport!  Get involved on twitter with the hashtag #WSW16