Playing position Name Shelley Kerr Position Defender 2002–2005 Kilmarnock Ladies | 2001–2002 Giuliano's Height 1.72 m Years Team | |
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Date of birth (1969-10-15) 15 October 1969 (age 46) Place of birth Broxburn, West Lothian, Scotland | ||
Current team Stirling University F.C. | ||
Swfitba speaks with shelley kerr
Michelle "Shelley" Kerr (born 15 December 1969) is a Scottish football manager and former player. In February 2013 she was named manager of English FA WSL club Arsenal Ladies. She won the FA Cup with Arsenal twice, including on 1 June 2014. 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, scoring three goals.
Contents
- Swfitba speaks with shelley kerr
- Interview with shelley kerr editorial director lng platts at lnggc 2014
- Club career
- International career
- International goals
- Coaching career
- Style of play
- References
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, shortly before leaving the SFA for Arsenal Ladies. It is widely thought that Shelley gained valuable coaching experience whilst studying the methods of famous youth coach Tup from Wick.
Interview with shelley kerr editorial director lng platts at lnggc 2014
Club career
Kerr participated in football at school and Edinburgh Dynamo were her first football club. In 2001–02 Kerr was playing for Edinburgh–based Giuliano's. In summer 2002 she moved to league champions Kilmarnock, ahead of the inaugural Scottish Women's Premier League season. In September 2002 Kerr made her UEFA Women's Cup debut in a 0–0 draw with CSK.
In January 2005 Kerr and compatriot Nicky Grant signed for struggling English FA Women's Premier League club Doncaster Rovers Belles, both making their debuts in a 3–1 home defeat to Charlton Athletic. Kerr and Grant scored in the Belles' 2–0 win over Bristol City to help the club avoid relegation.
International career
Kerr made her senior Scottish national team debut against "Auld Enemy" England, a 3–0 friendly defeat at Starks Park, Kirkcaldy in April 1989.
Kerr stopped playing football altogether for approximately nine years, during which she gave birth to her daughter. Returning to the game in her early thirties, she trained hard to win back her place in the Scotland team. In May 2001, Kerr was named in coach Vera Pauw's Scotland squad for a friendly with the Netherlands at Almondvale Stadium. She was listed as a Heart of Midlothian LFC player.
Following her comeback, Kerr later intended to quit national team duty after a tour of Cyprus in 2007, but was persuaded by coach Anna Signeul to return for the UEFA Women's Euro 2009 qualifying campaign. Prior to the home fixture against Ukraine at McDiarmid Park in May 2008, presentations were made to Kerr, Megan Sneddon and Suzanne Grant who had all reached the milestone of 50 appearances for their country.
Kerr retired from international football, aged 39, after the away leg of Scotland's eventual away goals defeat to Russia in Nalchik on 30 October 2008, in the qualifying play–off. It was reported that this had been her 58th and final cap. In an interview with She Kicks in May 2010, Kerr attested to a total of 59 appearances.
International goals
Results list Scotland's goal tally first.Coaching career
Kerr took her first coaching course at the Inverclyde NTSC in 1989. When Jim Chapman resigned as manager of Kilmarnock Ladies in 2004, Kerr took the team's training sessions in the opening months of the 2004–05 season. She did not want the job on a permanent basis and was keen for someone else to take over. After Kerr's playing career took her to Doncaster Rovers Belles, then back to Scotland with Hibernian, she took over as Hibs' player–coach under manager Maggie Wilson in 2007–08. That season she captained the club to a Scottish Women's Cup and Scottish Women's Premier League Cup double.
In June 2008 Kerr left Hibernian for a player–manager role at their Edinburgh rivals Spartans. Having previously worked as a Regional Development Officer for the Scottish Football Association (SFA), Kerr was appointed Technical and Development Programme Manager for Girls and Women's Football in 2009. The women's under–19 national team came under Kerr's remit and she steered them to the 2010 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship finals. Increasing commitments with the SFA meant that Kerr resigned as Spartans manager in April 2010.
Kerr was awarded the UEFA Pro Licence in January 2013. On 1 February 2013 she was "extremely excited" to be announced as Laura Harvey's successor as manager of Arsenal Ladies. The club under her management won the FA Women's Cup and Continental Cup and finished third in the league during the 2013 season. After a poor run of form which saw the club gain only one point from the opening four league matches of the 2014 season, exit the Champions League to Birmingham and suffer a shock loss to Reading in the League Cup, Kerr decided to resign. Kerr's final game in charge of Arsenal was the 2014 FA Women's Cup final which her team won 2–0 against Everton.
On Tuesday 19 August 2014 Kerr was appointed as manager of the Lowland Football League side Stirling University. 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.
on 13 April 2017 Kerr was appointed as manager of Scotland women’s head coach.
Style of play
Anna Signeul, Kerr's manager at international level, described her as a "really British central defender" in respect of "toughness on the pitch, and for her ability to communicate verbally and direct the other players." Writing in the Scotland on Sunday newspaper in 2002, sports journalist Moira Gordon praised Kerr as "uncompromising and tenacious". She summarised Kerr as: "A tough player both mentally and physically, she is good in the air and also with the ball at her feet, and times her tackles well."