Hearts set to make historic appointment with former Scotland & Arsenal head coach lined up for key rolenow
Shelly Kerr, the former manager of the Scotland women’s national team, has been approached for a new backroom position with the Edinburgh club.
Shelly Kerr, a former head coach of the Scotland women’s national team, will be appointed as Hearts’ Technical Development Manager.
The 55-year-old, who managed the women’s teams of Arsenal and Hibs and served as Scotland’s manager from 2017 to 2020, will join the team in a new position where she will be actively involved in the development of male players.In Scottish football, the appointment is being referred to as “historic” and a “first of its kind.
It is acknowledged that assisting players in making the move from the academy to the first squad will be a major component of Kerr’s job. In addition, the role will entail tracking coaches’ development and helping with the men’s B Team.
Kerr’s arrival is anticipated to be announced by Hearts prior to their match against Cercle Brugge in the UEFA Europa Conference League in Belgium on Thursday. Early in her career, the UEFA Pro licence holder played for Hearts and was a Jambos fan as a child.
Her playing career included appearances with city rivals Hibs and Spartans, as well as Kilmarnock and Doncaster Rovers, where she earned 59 Scotland caps. Between 2014 and 2017, the Broxburn native managed Stirling University’s men’s first team in the Lowland League in addition to holding a number of well-known coaching positions in the women’s game.
The Scotland women’s national team won the 2020 Pinatar Cup and advanced to the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup under Kerr’s leadership. But since the team didn’t make it to UEFA Women’s Euro 2021, she resigned from the role by mutual consent in December 2020.
Since then, Kerr has been a regular commentator on men’s and women’s matches for BBC Scotland. More information about the appointment will be available after Hearts has formally announced it.
