The team, currently standing 7th in the Women’s Super League (WSL), the top-tier women’s football league in England, confirmed on Friday that they have launched an internal investigation. Consequently, Willie Kirk will be temporarily suspended from his role as the head coach of Leicester.
Previously, The Guardian revealed a shocking report about the head coach of Leicester’s women’s team having a questionable relationship with one of the players.
During Willie Kirk’s suspension pending investigation, assistant coach Jennifer Foster will temporarily lead Leicester for the match against Liverpool on Saturday in the FA Women’s Cup.
Willie Kirk joined Leicester in July 2022 as the Director of Football. By November 2022, the Scottish coach replaced head coach Lydia Bedford and has been in charge since then.
Kirk previously played for Preston Athletic, a small team in Scotland. After retiring, Kirk served as head coach at the club but was unsuccessful.
Later, Kirk transitioned to coaching women’s football. The 1978-born coach worked for prestigious women’s clubs such as Manchester United and Everton before joining Leicester in 2022.
While at Manchester United in 2018, Kirk served as an assistant to head coach Casey Stoney. Kirk’s women’s football coaching career in England has not been particularly outstanding. He only won one Scottish national championship when coaching the Hibernian women’s team.
Regarding the allegations of a relationship with a Leicester player, Kirk has not made any official statements.
Kirk has previously spoken about the importance of family. In February 2022, after being dismissed by Everton, the Scottish coach admitted: “I should have looked for a new team immediately after a week. But I reconsidered and spent more time with my family. For me, family is priceless.”